Life in Camelot
by JennyIsATimelady
Summary: Samantha and Aleya are on a trip when they suddenly find themselves in Camelot with Merlin and King Arthur themselves. Do they have what it takes to fufill their destinies? Will love always triumph over evil? Merlin/OC Arthur/OC Gwen/Lancelot
1. Chapter One

_**A/N**_**: Hey there everybody! Before I get accused of copying a story allow me to explain, the account CoolCat15 is migrating to this account. I apologize for any inconvenience that this might cause, I just feel as though it's something that has to be done. **

**Moving on, this is a story that I have been working on for about two years. Two years ago I was not the writer that I am today and because of that I am revising this story and updating it. So, given that fact I hope that you enjoy it and please let me know if you see any errors that I need to remedy. **

**Thank you in advance for reading and please review and let me know what you think! I am also open to suggestions to where this story needs to go. Thanks again and my God bless!**

I watched closely as Samantha carefully flipped through the channels. Truthfully, I had no desire to watch anything, but the flicker of the television was too enamoring to look away from. I was so deep in thought that it took a moment to register that Samantha was talking to me. I looked over at her and noticed the incredulous look on her face as she awaited my reply.

"I'm sorry, what?" I said. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"You need to relax, Ally." She said as she returned to her task of finding a suitable show to watch. "What's wrong with you?" She asked when I did not respond.

"There's nothing wrong." I lied. Truth be told there were several nerve wracking thoughts echoing through my mind, but there was no need to worry Samantha with them.

The terrifying truth of the situation in which I found myself is that my life as I knew it was about to change forever. Within a week Samantha and I were going to start taking classes at university. We had decided to take a trip to France as a sort of farewell to freedom and hello to looming responsibilities and the pressure of being on our own. In all honesty, the concept of starting school frightened me for a reason that I could not quite pin down.

* * *

><p>I hid my suspicion from Aleya. She had always had a tendency to be secretive so I knocked her current state down to nerves. After a moment of silence I stared back at Aleya who had now occupied herself with one of the pamphlets that had been littered across the hotel room when we had arrived.<p>

"What's that?" I asked. She looked up and then back down at her reading.

"It's an advert for a castle that's near here." She said. She squinted her eyes at the pamphlet and said, "Château de Pierrefonds." She held the pamphlet over to me as evidence.

"Sounds boring." I said as I read the line _historically inspired tours_. I had to admit, that was not how I had intended to spend my time here.

"Come on, a day of seeing the sights! It sounds fun." Aleya said with a sort of enthusiasm in her voice that made me wonder about her sanity.

"Nerd" I muttered under my breath.

"What?" she asked sounding hurt.

"You are a nerd." I said pausing after every word.

"Sam, that's what you do in a foreign place. You see the sights." She said. "_You immerse yourself in the rich cultural history that France has to offer_." She finished reading from the pamphlet with a smile as though her words would convince me.

"They consider a worn down castle a 'sight'?" I asked using air quotations at the word sight.

"Coincidentally, yes" she said.

"Fine, but after that we are going shopping." I said.

"Deal" She said looking rather pleased with herself.

* * *

><p>We walked up to the castle and I took in the beauty of the immense stone structure. I had to give Aleya credit, it certainly was breathtaking. It looked like somewhere that the TARDIS would land and sweep the Doctor and Amy into an adventure.<p>

We walked in silence when I felt the ground slip out from under me. I grasped for anything I could find, to keep me upright, which in this case was Aleya's arm. I felt her give way too before everything went black.

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes to see a rather attractive blonde haired man leaning over me. He looked relieved when I began to sit up. I tried to take in my surroundings, but confusion was all that came.<p>

"Are you alright?" he said. I looked down at myself and saw that everything was intact before looking back into his blue eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. "How did I get here?" I looked around. We were in the middle of the woods. I looked him over and saw that he was wearing chainmail and a red cloak.

"I was hoping you could tell me that." He said. "I'm Arthur by the way."

"Samantha. Have you seen my friend?" I asked. I rubbed my eyes suddenly feeling very droggy.

"She's with Merlin." Arthur said. My eyes went wide.

"Merlin?" I said. He nodded. "Is that a fact." I said. It was obvious by my tone of voice that I was shocked.

"Yeah. Merlin." He said.

"And…and you're Arthur?" I asked.

"I think you may have hit your head." Arthur said.

"I feel like it." I said.

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes to see a pale black headed boy leaning over me. I looked into his blue eyes. I immediately felt my pulse quicken.<p>

"Hello." He said. It took me a moment to find my voice but finally I managed to speak. I looked around and noticed that I was in the middle of a forest.

"Hello." I said. He wasn't bad looking. His ears were a bit large but I liked them.

"Are you alright?" he said. I sat up rubbing my head.

"I think so. How did I get here?" I asked. One moment I was on a history tour and the next I was in the woods.

"Arthur and I just found you here." He said.

"My friend, is she here?" I asked remembering Samantha.

"Yeah, Arthur was working on getting her awake." He said.

"Alright. Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Merlin." He said.

"Aleya…Wait…Merlin?" I asked.

"Yes." He said.

"And Arthur?"

"Yes."

"I'm going mad." I said. I heard someone walking up being me. I turned my head and saw Samantha being led by a blonde man whom I deduced was Arthur.

"Aleya!" She said seeming glad to see me. I stood up a bit shakily. "We're not in Kansas anymore."

"I noticed." I said.

"So are you guys LARPing or something?" Samantha asked. Arthur and Merlin exchanged confused looks before looking back at us.

"I am afraid that I do not know what that means." Arthur finally said. We were definitely miles south of Kansas.

* * *

><p>"Where were you two heading?" Arthur asked. I looked at him and then to Aleya.<p>

"I'm not sure." I said.

"Well Merlin and I need to get back to Camelot before night fall so you will just have to come with us there until we can get you two sorted." Arthur said in an authoritative tone.

"Camelot. Sounds like as good of a place as any." Aleya said.

"Merlin fetch the horses." Arthur said.

"Horses?" I turned to Aleya who did not seem to be concerned by the revelation that we would have to ride on horses.

"Sam. How else do you think that we are supposed to travel?" she asked.

"Anything but horses." I said. I had a bad experience which involved me falling off of one when I was a child. That was not a road I wanted to go down again. "To quote Sherlock they are dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle."

"Sam, just suck it up." Aleya said. I stuck my tongue out at her. At this time Merlin returned with the horses. I walked towards Arthur who was already on his horse.

"Do you need help getting on?" he asked me. I stared at the creature which stood before me. _Yes_. I thought but I would give it a try.

"I can manage." I said. I put one foot in the stirrup and used my arms to pull me shakily up. The moment I was up I wrapped my arms around Arthur.

"Are you scared of horses?" he asked.

"A bit." I said.

"Don't worry you'll be fine." He said. Aleya had already taken her place on the horse with Merlin. She looked over at me and mouthed _Just play along_. I nodded and then looked to the trail before us.


	2. Chapter Two

It had been a week since we had arrived in Camelot and we still had no idea how we had gotten to Camelot or how we could get back to our own time. Aleya seemed to fall right into place I, on the other hand, was finding the transition from life in 2012 to life in medieval times to be a bit tricky. It had taken me a while to get used to wearing a dress, in fact on the first day I had nearly tripped down a flight of stairs, only to be caught by a surprised Arthur. I immediately stood up and apologized, feeling the stinging embarrassment. I just needed to find my rhythm. I was sitting on my bed, deep in thought, when Aleya walked in.

"You know, you could knock. I said. She did not faze. "What is it?" I asked as I sat up.

"I need to show you something." She said. She slipped back out the door and I followed eagerly. She led me down a long corridor and deep into the castle. We walked through a huge iron gate and down a flight of stairs. She grabbed a torch off of the wall and held it firmly in her hand. We walked into to a huge cavern. I was astonished and frightened when I saw the dragon.

"You found a bloody dragon?" I whispered.

"Hello Samantha." It said. I just stared at it. How did this thing know my name?

"Hello." I muttered trying and failing at keeping my voice steady.

"Will you tell her what you told me?" Aleya asked.

"Of course" He said. I looked at Aleya and then back at the dragon, "Your coming here was not merely by chance. It has been laid out since the beginning of time."

"Wait, what has been laid out?" I asked trying desperately to follow along the crazy train.

"Your destiny, Samantha, yours is to stand by Arthur and protect him. You will become his greatest confidant. Aleya, yours to stand by the young warlock named, Merlin, and protect him and guide him along to his destiny." The dragon said.

"Wait, none of this was in the legends." I said.

"The literature which you read in your time is just that, a legend. Mainly myth, this, however, is what really happened." He said. He began to flap his wings and flew up. "Good luck!" he said. I stood there not confident as of what to do next.

* * *

><p>I looked over at Samantha to see her staring up with awe. I had to admit that this all was extremely overwhelming.<p>

"You found a dragon." She said calmly.

"Yep" I said.

"Puff the magic dragon." She said.

"You do realize that he has the power to kill us with his mind, correct?" I said turning my head to her.

"What does he mean, 'confidant'? What about Guinevere?" she said.

"Maybe he's right, what we've read and what really happened are two completely different things." I said.

"Wonderful." I said.

* * *

><p>Aleya and I were walking back to our chambers when we ran into Merlin in the hallway. He had Arthur's armor piled up in his hands and looked as though he was on the verge of dropping it. Aleya carefully slipped her hands under piece of it and lifted it into her arms to reveal Merlin's puzzled face.<p>

"It's okay, I've got it." He said. She just smiled at him.

"You looked like you had it." She said. I turned to walk away. She didn't take any time at all beginning on her destiny.

* * *

><p>Merlin and I walked through the hallway in silence for a moment until he finally broke the awkward silence and began to speak.<p>

"How do you like Camelot?" he asked.

"I like it quite well." I said smiling at the floor.

"That's good." He said. I nodded. He certainly was a talkative one.

"So, how long have you been Arthur's servant?" I asked.

"A couple of months, I didn't really intend on it, it just sort of happened." He said.

"How does that just sort of happen? I mean I am not exactly Sherlock Holmes, but I can tell that Arthur's full of himself." I said. I didn't really consider the implications of mentioning my favorite consulting detective.

"Who?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, no one. I just was saying as far as reading people goes." I said. Hopefully he wouldn't pursue the matter of Sherlock Holmes for much longer.

"Oh, he's a royal prat if you ask me." He said. I laughed. He looked at me smiling.

"Prat, I like that terminology." I said. We made it to the armory. I set the armor down on the table and looked at Merlin.

"Do you need any help?" I asked. "I mean, I'm as good at polishing as the next person." He looked surprised at this.

"Um….no…..I've got it." He said smiling. I was disappointed. If he was my destiny I wanted to at least get to know him.

"Alright." I said smiling. I turned to walk away when I was stopped.

"Wait." He said. I turned and the fluttering in my heart began again.

"Would you like to go for a walk tomorrow morning?" he asked. "Gaius is sending me to get some mushrooms for some potion he's making and I always welcome company."

"I would like that very much." I said with a smile. Merlin looked surprised.

"Alright." He said smiling. "I'll see you then."

"Bye." I said smiling silently as I walked away.

* * *

><p>I sat in my chambers. I was running the chat with the dragon through my head. What did he mean by confidant? Was I to marry Arthur? I am not sure if I could handle being queen. I heard a knock on the door. I stood up and walked over to see Arthur.<p>

"Hello?" I said. What could he want?

"I was just wondering how you were liking Camelot?" he said.

"Your father sent you didn't he." I said.

"You see right through me." He said.

"You can tell him that I love it." I said.

"Alright." He said, "If you need anything just let me know."

"Will do." I said. He walked away and I saw a very excited looking Aleya walking down the hall pointing at Arthur.

"Come on." I said. She quickly shuffled into the room and I shut the door behind her.

"What did Arthur want?" she said.

"His father sent him to find out how I liked Camelot." I said.

"Did you tell him that his presence is the only thing that makes it bearable?" Aleya asked with a smile on her face.

"What are you on about?" I asked. A grin made its way across her face.

"I helped Merlin carry Arthur's armor." She said.

"And that's cause for excitement?" I said.

"No. it's what happened after." She said.

"Well what happened after?" I said crossing my arms.

"He asked me if I wanted to go for a walk tomorrow morning."

"And you better have said yes." I said.

"I said that I would love to." She said. I smiled at her.

"You'll have to let me do your hair." I said.

"Of course. But it's not a 'date' Gaius wants him to go collect mushrooms." She said.

"You'll be alone. In the woods. With Merlin. Anything could happen."

"Your mind is in the gutter." She said.

"Hey!" I said.

* * *

><p>Samantha was at work with my hair. She was complaining about how knotted parts of it were even though I brushed it before I went to bed last night.<p>

"I had a nightmare. It always gets knotted when I have nightmares. She looked at me.

"What was it about?" she asked running the brush through it again.

"What are they always about?" I said. I couldn't bring myself to say it. Already I felt tears forming in my eyes.

"Listen, don't you let that spoil your day." She said.

"I won't. How could I? I'll be with Merlin." I said cracking a smile.

"There." She said. She pointed proudly at her handy work. Part of my hair was pulled back to form a bun on my head and the rest was curled and lying in front.

"Thanks." I said.

"What are you wearing?" she asked quickly moving on.

"The blue one." I said. In all honesty, the blue one was the only one that I really cared for. It wasn't silky and it wasn't tight.

"Why that one?" she asked.

"Because. I'm going for a walk in the woods." I said.

"I don't know why you always go for practicality." She said. I went behind the screen to get dressed.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand." I said.

* * *

><p>I stood there awkwardly as she got dressed. She finally came out.<p>

"How do I look?" she asked.

"You look fine. Now go!" I said. I shoved her out the door and followed her until I reached my chambers.

"Make sure you do the things that I would do!" I said.

"Not a chance." She said. I smiled to myself and walked into my chambers. I went over to the window to see she had already reached Merlin and they were walking down the cobblestone path together. Staying in Camelot is definitely going to be a good thing.


	3. Chapter Three

I fought back a smile as I looked over at Samantha who was still nervously clinging to Arthur's back. I could vaguely remember the day when our parents had decided to take us horseback riding and Samantha, like the graceful butterfly that she was, was flung off the back of her horse. I did not share her nervousness for riding. In the past I had actually found it kind of calming and relaxing.

We rode up to what I assumed was Camelot and I was immediately stunned. It was a less worn down version of Pierrefonds. Earlier I had just assumed that Merlin and Arthur were a part of some elaborate cosplaying endeavor, but now I could not be certain of anything.

As we entered the citadel I began to hear the sound of people going about their days. This sound was soon drowned out by the sound of the horse's hooves clapping happily on the cobblestone beneath us. For a moment I was not worried about where we were or what was happening to us because I was too caught up in the sights. Something about this place felt like home.

* * *

><p>I glanced over to Aleya as we entered the great city and she had the same look of bewilderment on her face as I did. The castle was nearly identical to the one we were on a tour of, but it was less worn out. We made it into what I assumed was the courtyard and Arthur effortlessly slid off of the horse. I sat there for a moment, I was not really confident as to what my next course of action should be. I took a deep breath and slid off the horse, none too gracefully, and landed roughly on the ground. Horses were definitely not one of my favorite things.<p>

"So, where are you two from?" Arthur asked as he led the way up the steps. I looked to Aleya who was biting her lip, clearly deep in thought as she tried to think up a suitable lie.

"It's a small place, I doubt you've heard of it. It's called Gallifrey." She said confidently. I had trouble not smiling at the reference which no one for another few hundred years would understand.

"Our father was a lord." I said. I thought that I should make this as convincing as possible and being nobility certainly was a nice perk.

"Really? So you're of noble blood?" Arthur said.

"Yes" Aleya said looking at me in shock "our kingdom fell a few years back and we have been travelling alone ever since." Aleya finished giving me a nod.

We carefully sewed our web of deceit to implicate that our mother had died shortly after giving birth to Aleya who was the youngest and our father had been slain in one of the many battles for our kingdom. When it fell we were forced to flee. I thought that it was a rather convincing and extremely entertaining tale. Arthur had agreed to get us an audience with the king, who was coincidentally his father.

* * *

><p>I was shocked by how well that Samantha and I fell into our little lie. I even started to believe it myself, the fact that we were now for all intents and purposes of noble blood made it even better. We were led into the council chambers to speak with King Uther Pendragon. We were greeted by a stern looking man. His hair bore a grey color and his face was scarred just above his eye. I heard Samantha take a gulp as she looked at him. I tried to hold back my fear and remain confident.<p>

"Father these are the two girls that I told you about. Aleya and Samantha. They're kingdom fell a few years ago." Arthur said. The king looked us over. I tried to look as though I belonged here although I knew I did not.

"Is this true?" Uther asked. I looked into his eyes. They were cold and calculating.

"Yes, my lord." I said. I had watched enough documentaries to know how to talk to royalty. I could only hope that Samantha would follow suit.

"I am sorry to hear that. Have you any family?" he asked. There was a sudden warmness to his voice that was hidden by his authoritative tone.

"No, my lord." Samantha said falling into character wonderfully.

"You will stay in Camelot indefinitely." He said. "I will not have you two running about in the woods any longer." I was shocked I could not speak. I certainly did not expect such kindness from him.

"Thank you, my lord." Samantha said.

"Arthur, you will show them to their chambers." He said. Arthur nodded and motioned for us to follow him. After doing a quick bow Samantha and I walked out silently.

* * *

><p>Arthur lead Aleya into a room and then me. Before he walked out of the room he turned back to look at me and said<p>

"I'll see that you get some decent clothes to wear."

"What's wrong with what I have?" I said before I realized that my clothing was indecent by their standards.

"It isn't proper." He said sounding shocked.

"Right, thank you." I said. He slipped out of the room and I heard the sound of boots clicking from down the hallway. I began to look around. The room was fairly large and far nicer than the ratty hotel room that Aleya and I had been in. I walked over to the window and took in my surroundings. It was massive. It was also beautiful. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. I saw Aleya poking her head in.

"Sam?" she said. I turned and motioned for her to come in.

"We're in Camelot." She said after a moment of silence.

"Yep." I said.

"I am now Lady Aleya and you're Lady Samantha." She said almost cracking a smile.

"I met prince Athur!" I said unable to contain my enthusiasm for any longer.

"Wait, this is great and all. I just want to know how we got here." She said.

"Good question." I said I looked into her eyes. There was a mixture of fear and excitement.

"Wibbly wobbly." She said.

"Timey wimey." I said.

"We might as well stay." She said.

"What about my mum?" I asked.

"If you want to leave….. I'll go with you I suppose. If you do we'll find a way." She said. I smiled and then looked down at the floor.

"If there were a way to go back, we have no way of finding it." I said. "What do you say we go pick out a dress? I've never wore a corset before." I said in a lighter tone. This might be a good thing, for both of us.


	4. Lancelot Part One

**Lancelot **

**Part One**

Merlin and I walked in silence for a while. I stared down at the forest floor trying desperately not to trip over a root or my dress. I looked up at Merlin who appeared to be on a mission. He stopped at a tree and began to pick up mushrooms.

"I've never been able to tell which ones are poisonous." I said. Were I back home I would have just googled it or something. Here I had to trust word of mouth.

"You can tell by…" he began to say before he was interrupted by a roar coming from behind him. I looked up to see a horrifying creature running towards us.

Merlin dropped the bag and grabbed my hand pulling me in front of him. I ran as fast as I could until I heard a thump behind me. I dared to look over my shoulder to see Merlin lying on the ground with the creature almost within striking distance. I began to run back towards him. I grabbed his shoulder right as the creature reared up to attack. We both closed our eyes. To my shock I heard the sound of a sword. I opened my eyes to see a man trying to fight off the beast. He began to run it through and the sword broke in two. The beast seemed shaken for a moment. He turned to us and grabbed our hands while saying, "Run." The beast began to pursue us again when we jumped over a log and knelt down next to it. It appeared that we had lost the creature. I let out a sigh of relief. Merlin looked up at the sky.

"It's gone." He muttered. I looked over at the man who was sitting in between Merlin and I. I could hear my heart rapidly pumping and I could feel the adrenaline rushing through me.

"Thank you." I said. I was trying to catch my breath. It was times like this that made me really wish that I had taken track when I was in school.

"I'm Merlin." Merlin said holding out his hand. "And that is Aleya."

"Lancelot." He said. He leaned his head back on the tree and his hand fell to reveal a bloody spot on his tunic. Merlin stared down at it.

"We need to get him back to Camelot." He said. I simply nodded not knowing what to say.

* * *

><p>I was walking around the castle. Its size was astounding and its beauty incomparable. As I moved through the vast corridors I tried to take in every bit of it. I looked ahead and saw two women talking. When we met I held out my hand.<p>

"I don't believe we've met, I'm Samantha." I said. The woman smiled.

"I'm Morgana, Uther's ward, and this is Gwen." She said. The name rung out in my head. Morgana? Where had I heard that before?

"It's nice to meet you." I said.

"You too." She said. "I'm sorry, but we really must be on our way." She said. I curtsied and her and Gwen followed suit before walking away.

I continued my exploration when I rounded the corner that led would lead me to the physician's chambers. I looked ahead to see Merlin and Aleya struggling to carry someone. I ran over to them. They both looked in bad shape. Merlin had a tear in the knee of his pants and Aleya's once neat hair had been pulled down. The man was hardly any different. The one thing that stood out immediately was the blood stain on his shirt.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We were attacked." Aleya said. They were nearly to Gaius's chambers.

"By what?" I asked. I held open the door for them.

"I have no clue." Merlin said. We walked in and the room was empty.

"He's not in!" I heard Aleya say. They sat Lancelot down on the bed.

"I'll go find him." I said. I felt as though I should make myself of some use.

"I'll get some bandages." Aleya said. I walked out.

* * *

><p>"Is he any better?" I asked sitting down next to Merlin. After we had dressed his wounds he had developed a fever. Unfortunately without Gaius neither of us had any clue as to what to do. We kept putting a damp cloth on his head but that was where my medical knowledge ended. Apart from giving him Tylenol, I had no clue as to what to do.<p>

"His fever is getting worse." Merlin said. I looked down at our patient. Lancelot. His name was Lancelot. Lancelot didn't die, at least not in the legends. He became a knight. Before I could say anything Samantha walked in leading a worried looking Gaius. I stepped out of the way as Gaius set to work on Lancelot. I walked over to Samantha.

"Who's he?" she whispered.

"Lancelot." I said. Judging by the look on her face I guessed that she knew who he was.

"Lancelot?" she said. "As in, noblest of them all?" she said whispering the last part.

"Yep." I said. Gaius stood up. We both looked to him eagerly.

"His wound is superficial and the fever should break by the morning." He said. The nervous air seemed to break immediately.

"Thank you Gaius." I said before Samantha led the way out the door. Merlin followed.

"Aleya?" he said. I turned and walked towards him.

"Yeah?" I said.

"I'm sorry, today didn't exactly go as planned." He said.

"I had a good time. I mean up until being attacked by whatever that thing was."

"Maybe we could try again some other time?" he said.

"Maybe, does Arthur have training tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said.

"I'll meet you in the armory after alright?" I said. I wasn't sure what was happening. Usually I would not blurt out something like that. It felt as though I wasn't controlling my mouth though.

"Sure." He said. "Goodnight." He wrapped his arms around me. This was a start at destiny. I turned waving as I walked towards Samantha who I knew was standing around the corner listening to every word that we said.

* * *

><p>I listened to them. This was unlike Aleya. She usually thought things through before jumping out on a limb like this. I could tell how she felt and I wished I shared her feelings. She rounded the corner.<p>

"Alright, who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" I asked.

"What?" she asked staring at me with confusion in her eyes.

"I'll meet you in the armory." I said trying my best to imitate her tone of voice. "You're taking the dragon seriously aren't you?"

"No, I just like hanging out with Merlin." She said.

"Right. So other than almost dying, how did it go?" I asked.

"Good, he's a bit shy. He was about to tell me which mushrooms are poisonous when that thing attacked."

"If that's not all the ingredients for a romantic day, then I don't know what is." I said, Aleya smiled. "What was it that attacked you two lovebirds?"

"I have no idea." We had reached her chambers. She turned to me. "Want to get up early and go to the library to find out?"

"Yeah, I'll pass on the whole library thing." I said.

"Alright." She said walking in. I began to walk towards my door when I saw Arthur.

"Are you aware of situation in the outline villages?" he said. I looked into his eyes.

"No." I said. "Should I be?"

"A winged creature has attacked and signs show that it is heading for Camelot." He said. "I don't mean to worry you I just thought that you might like to know."

"A winged creature?" I said. It clicked.

"Yeah."

"I think that it is coming for Camelot." I said. Arthur's expression suddenly got more solemn.

"How can you know?" he asked inquisitively.

"Merlin and Aleya were nearly killed by it." I said.

"What was Merlin doing with Aleya?" he asked.

"They were hunting mushrooms." I said.

"Mushrooms?" Arthur said.

"For Gaius." I said.

"Okay, just be careful." He said.

"Yeah, you too." I said before walking into my chambers. Yeah. I think Arthur just showed a sign that he cared. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to talk to the dragon.

* * *

><p>Once I was certain that the castle would be asleep I pulled my cloak on and slowly stepped out the door. I hurried down the corridor as quietly as I could in an attempt to no alert the guards of my presence. Once I was sure that I had eluded them I snaked a torch from the hallway and made my way down to where the dragon was. The cavern was quite empty when I arrived so after a moment of trepidation I called out.<p>

"Hello?" I said. "Are you here?" the dragon flew into view and landed on the rock that stood in the center of the cavern.

"Where else would I be Samantha?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I need to speak with you." I said.

"I was aware of that."

"That is extremely creepy." I said. When he did not respond I continued my query. "When you said I was to be Arthur's confidant, what did you mean?"

"I do not understand the question."

"Should I have _feelings_ for Arthur?" I said emphasizing the word feelings.

"Destiny is a double edged sword my dear. One cannot escape it, nor can they foresee what will happen."

"I'm sorry, I'm just not getting your meaning." I said.

"Time will tell what your destiny entails, only you can discover the true meaning behind my words." He said.

"Alright, I think I actually get some of that. Thanks." I said before turning.

"Wait." He said. I turned to look at the great creature. "The man named Lancelot is in Camelot correct?"

"Yes." I said.

"Beware your emotions young one." He said before flying off. I stared up at where he had been.

"Great, thanks for the vaguely ominous tip." I said before walking off.


	5. Lancelot Part Two

**Lancelot **

**Part Two**

I sat on my bed thinking. It seemed as though my interaction with the dragon had left me with more questions than I had answers. What was I supposed to do? The dragon had given me nothing but riddles. I was staring down the mouth of a destiny that I did not want. What did he mean about Lancelot? He said that I should keep my emotions in line, but apart from Lancelot being vaguely attractive, I did not have feelings for him. Also what was it about Morgana that made a chill run down my spine? I could not remember her place in the legends, but I was sure that she had a role and I feared what that role was. I had so many questions and no answers.

* * *

><p>I awoke early to the sight of the sun glowing through the curtains. I was quick about getting dressed and putting my hair up. It was not long before I made it to the library. To my great pleasure it was unattended. Good, a little bit of quiet would do well for my sanity. I went to one of the far corners. I knew that the Dewey Decimal System had not been invented yet, but I hoped that there was some sort of organizational scheme that I could pick up on.<p>

After a few moments of searching and no small amount of luck I came across a book entitled _Mythical Creatures_. That seemed like as good a place to start as any so I pulled it off of the shelf and blew the dust off of the cover. I moved over to one of the tables and began my search.

* * *

><p>When I awoke it was still early, I had learned how to calculate the time using the sun, which was a useful skill since there were no clocks. I got dressed and made myself presentable before making my way to the library to check on Aleya.<p>

When I walked in I immediately saw her, she was hunched over a book in the corner of the large room. I walked over to her and sat down across the table. She did not look up so I waited for her to acknowledge my presence.

"They don't have Harry Potter do they?" I asked as boredom overtook me. She looked up from her reading and rolled her eyes.

"No." she said.

"I really want to use the expression, Merlin's beard!" I said. She cracked a smile.

"Look at this." She said shoving a book over to me. On the page was a winged creature.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"I believe so, get this. It's a creature of magic and can only be killed by magic." She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Neither of us have magic." I said. "Arthur told me last night that it was heading for Camelot."

"We have to find a way to kill it or else Arthur and the knights are going to get slaughtered." She said.

"What are you two doing in here?" a man's voice rang out from behind us. I looked at Aleya.

"Just a little research." She said.

"The door was locked." He said.

"It wasn't when I came. I'm sorry if we aren't supposed to be here. We were just about to leave." She said standing up. I stood up awkwardly and walked out of the room following close behind her.

"Alright." I said. "A Griffin."

"Yep."

"Let's waist it. Like on Supernatural." I said.

"Have you got any magic on hand?" she asked.

"No." I said. "What about you know who?"

"He is oblivious that I know." She said. "And it is probably best kept that way for now."

"We can't let them die." I said.

"I'll hint to it when I meet Merlin later." She said. We walked into my room.

"Now that we're alone, who is Morgana?" I asked.

"Morgana? I don't know."

"I mean in the legends."

"Morgana…Morgan Le Fay?" She said.

"That's it!" I said. It all came back to me now. "Aleya she's in Camelot."

"Isn't she evil?" she said.

"I think." I said.

"Maybe this is different." She said.

"I hope." I said. "But if not, we should be weary of her."

"Your right." She said. "Listen I have to go. I'll tell you how it goes." She walked out. I looked out into the courtyard to see Morgana walking below me. I would keep an eye on her.

* * *

><p>I made my way quickly to the armory. I waited in the hallway until all of the knights exited the room before I entered. After all, it was hardly becoming of a lady to be in the armory. Although I had no reason to be, I was still filled with nerves. My mind went back to a memory of a bloke I liked back in year nine. After several pleas I had convinced Samantha to come with me to a football match where the boy I liked was playing. His name was Ethan and he was the goal keeper, but when I went up to him and tried to speak with him I had completely put my foot in my mouth. I certainly did not want a repeat of that with Merlin. I had to make sure to keep myself in check this time.<p>

* * *

><p>When I walked into Gaius' chambers I saw Lancelot staring out of the window. I cleared my throat and he looked over at me. In the sunlight his skin looked absolutely wonderful, perhaps the dragon was right. I probably should keep my emotions in check.<p>

"Hi," I said, "We haven't met, well I saw you when you were unconscious but that hardly counts. I'm Samantha." I said.

"Lancelot." I smiled. Not only was I meeting Sir Lancelot, but he was also quite good looking.

"How are you feeling, I mean yesterday you were in pretty bad shape. Gave Aleya and Merlin a right scare." I said.

"I'm much better than I was thanks." He said. Then Merlin burst in carrying a piece of parchment.

"I've got it." He said beaming with pride.

"Got what?" I asked.

"This is his seal of nobility."

"I don't understand." Lancelot said.

"Ladies and Gentlemen I give you, Sir Lancelot, fifth son of Sir Eldred of North Umbria." Merlin said opening the parchment.

"I'm lost." I said.

"The first code of Camelot states that only those of noble blood may serve as knights." Merlin explained.

"Well that's a stupid rule." I said. "What happens when they run out of nobles?"

"No, Merlin." Lancelot said.

"What so you don't want to be a knight?" Merlin said.

"Of course I do." Lancelot said in an angry tone.

"Well, the rules won't allow it. Damn the rules! The rules are wrong." Merlin said.

"It's a lie." Lancelot said. "It's against everything the knights stand for."

"You have as much right to be a knight as anybody." I said feeling for Lancelot. It was exceedingly stupid that this world was dictated only by what family you were born into.

"We're not breaking the rules. We're bending them. We are getting your foot in the door. After that you will be judged on you merit." Merlin said. Lancelot smiled. I couldn't recall exactly how the story went but this seemed to be just as good of a way as any.

* * *

><p>An hour past painfully slowly as I waited for Merlin, after that time I gave up. I had never been stood up by someone before, but I supposed that everyone had to experience that feeling at least once. I tried not to let it bother me, I tried to convince myself that something might have come up, maybe Arthur was being particularly pratty today. My mind still fell back on the conclusion that maybe I had been too forward with him. Maybe he had only said yes to meeting me because he felt some sort of obligation to.<p>

I quietly walked down the corridor, deeply engulfed in my thoughts. I made my way to Samantha's room where I knocked on the wooden door. There was no answer so, per the norm, I just walked in.

"Sam, are you in?" I asked. I looked around and there was nobody in sight. I walked out feeling terribly alone.

* * *

><p>After getting Gwen to measure Lancelot for armor I realized that if the dragon was right. Gwen would get Lancelot. That made me happy. We were walking back to Gaius's chambers when it dawned on me. I had been with Merlin all this time and Aleya was waiting for him to meet her. As soon as I realized this I punched Merlin in the arm. Not hard but enough to make him clutch it.<p>

"What was that for?" he asked sounding hurt.

"You were supposed to meet Aleya." I said trying not to use any obscenities.

"Oh no." he said. He took off running. That was when I realized that if Mr. All-powerful-Warlock broke my friend's heart that I would have to kill him

* * *

><p>I walked down the steps to see the dragon. The cavern was dark, even though it was past midday outside. When I entered the cavern he was sitting in his usual position on the rock.<p>

"Hello young one." He said. His voice echoed through the cavern.

"You said that I was supposed to help and guide Merlin to his destiny, but I am not sure if I can." I said as I forced my emotions down.

"You do not yet see how closely your paths are intertwined." He said.

"I find this all very difficult to believe." I said.

"Your paths will cross yet again you just need to be ready when they do."

"How do I do that?" I said feeling more and more confused by the second.

"You will soon see." He said. He began to flap his wings and he flew off.

"I hope so." I muttered to myself.

* * *

><p>I followed behind Merlin to find the armory empty. I felt terrible for Aleya, she had really hoped that Merlin would return her affections and now this had happened.<p>

"Where would she be?" Merlin asked.

"You ought to let me talk to her first." I said. "I'll go and find her." I left him alone in the armory with his thoughts.

* * *

><p>I was lying on my bed, completely engulfed in my thoughts, when I heard the door open. I looked up and saw that it was Samantha and then I lay back down.<p>

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." I replied as I stared up at the ceiling.

"I know what happened." Samantha said. I sat up and met her stare. She had taken a seat at the end of the bed.

"How?" I asked.

"I was with Merlin and Lancelot while he was supposed to be with you." Samantha said.

"Okay." I said before laying back down.

"Ally, he didn't mean to ditch you." Samantha said, "He's trying to get Lancelot bestowed with a knighthood."

"Why does Lancelot need Merlin's help?" I asked as I sat up again.

"Because there is some law in Camelot that only those of noble blood can be knights, so Merlin got him a seal of nobility." Samantha said.

"What happens when they run out of noblemen?" I asked.

"Exactly my thoughts, so Lancelot has training with Arthur tomorrow as a test of his skills to see if he is worthy of becoming a knight. Gwen is getting him chainmail ready so he'll look the part and Merlin just lost track of time." Samantha said.

"Ugh…" I said as I flopped back down, "My mind is always drawn to the worse possible outcome."

"Now that that is cleared up, I need some sleep." Samantha said before standing up and walking out.

* * *

><p>The next day Gwen and I took Lancelot to his training session. He had to last a minute in the ring with Arthur. I had never seen a fight like this before, but Gwen assured me that it was safe when they were training. That, however, did not put my mind at ease. We watched as Lancelot approached Arthur. He handed him his seal and I blinked and he was on the ground.<p>

"On the battle field you would be dead." Arthur said. "Come back when you're ready."

"I'm ready now Sire." Lancelot said standing up and placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Fine, you can start with cleaning out the stables." Arthur said. The entire trainee's began to laugh. I did not find it so funny. I walked over to Arthur.

"What was that?" I asked. He turned to me rather surprised.

"That was me training the knights." He said.

"That was you making a prat of yourself." I said.

"Have you been around Merlin?"

"Yes, that's not the point though."

"Listen, on the battlefield he would have been dead. You must be quick."

"I do believe, were he facing a battle, he would have a little more warning."

"If he truly wants to be a knight then he will be willing to work for it."

"Oh trust me, he does." I said before stalking away. Lancelot would get his chance, whether Arthur liked it or not.


	6. Lancelot Part Three

**Lancelot **

**Part Three**

It was nearly midday and boredom had driven me outside. I walked, having no particular destination in mind, when I came across Lancelot.

"I must say, you look much better than you did when last we met." I said as I walked closer. He looked up from his work and smiled.

"I've been reliably informed that it was because of yours and Merlin's aid." Lancelot said. I laughed and looked down at the ground.

"All we did was carry you back to the citadel, I fear that Gaius did the rest." I said.

"I still owe you a debt, my lady." He said before bowing slightly.

"I heard that you are up for a knight hood?" I said and I immediately noticed his expression change. "What happened?"

"Apparently this is Arthur's idea of training." He said.

"That doesn't make since how is this…" I said but I was interrupted by Arthur walking up, looking as prat like as ever.

"Lancelot, Aleya." He said. "Are you ready Lancelot?" Lancelot looked excited.

"What made you change your mind?" Lancelot asked.

"I thought about it."

"I'm sure you did, especially when Sam was giving you down the road about it." I said. I knew Samantha well enough to realize that she would have spoken her mind.

"That's enough out of you. Do you want to try or not?" he said directing his question at Lancelot.

"Yes, Sire." He said. Arthur picked up a stick and threw it at him. I stepped back to watch. They went at it. After about a minute Arthur stopped.

"Congratulations Lancelot, you've made basic training." Arthur said. I smiled at Lancelot when the warning bells went off. I looked to Arthur who was running up the street. I followed him along with Lancelot. We came to the gates where I saw Merlin and Gaius helping people. Lancelot didn't hesitate. I followed after him and saw Merlin's surprised expression when I walked up.

"What happened?" Lancelot asked. I just stared at Merlin and him at me.

"Their village was attacked, by a winged monster." Gaius said.

"The Griffin?" I asked. Gaius and Lancelot shot me looks. "What? I read." I said.

"Apparently." Gaius said. "I need water."

"I'll get it." I said. I turned back towards the well. Merlin followed me.

"Aleya, will you listen to me?" he said.

"Listen Merlin, I understand." I said.

"You do?" he said sounding surprised.

"Samantha told me what you were doing." I said as I pulled the bucket up to the well. "It really is fine." I said offering him a reassuring smile.

"I would like to make it up to you." He said. The bucket was now full and extremely heavy.

"I know how you can do so." I said looking into his eyes.

"How?" Merlin asked looking curious, the side of his mouth quirked up.

"Carry this back to Gaius." I said handing him the bucket. He took on the weight easier than I expected and led the way back to where Gaius was treating the wounded.

* * *

><p>I had elected to stay inside during all of the excitement of the day. Aleya had informed me that people from some of the villages nearest to Camelot had burst into the city having been attacked by the griffin. As I walked to her chambers I met Arthur in the hallway.<p>

"What are you doing?" I asked noting how quickly he was moving.

"The creature is almost to Camelot." He said. I looked at him.

"Have you found a way to kill it?" I asked.

"Not as of yet." He said.

"You know what it is right?" I asked.

"Do you?" he said.

"I've never been much of a reader. Aleya, on the other hand, always had a book in her hand as we were growing up. She went to the library this morning and found a book about it. It's a Griffin. It can only be killed by magic." I said.

"The knights of Camelot must prevail without magic." He said.

"Why? Because it's banned? You're first priority should be to your people, then to the law." I said. I wasn't sure where that had come from. He looked around.

"Samantha, even if I was willing to use magic, there are no sorcerers within Camelot's borders that could help." He said. If only he knew.

"I just don't want you to go out there and get yourself killed." I said.

"You worry for my safe return." He said with a sly smile.

"Don't look at me like that." I said.

"I will give you a token that will serve as my promise to return." Arthur said.

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"This." He said. I felt his lips on mine. I suddenly had butterflies in my stomach. "There. I will return to you, Lady Samantha, you have my word." He said after he pulled away. I must have been blushing. I felt as though my heart would come right out of my chest.

"Alright." I said. He turned and walked away. I watched as he moved swiftly down the hallway. I really hoped that the idiot did not get himself killed.

* * *

><p>A day had passed since the griffin had last attacked and there was still no sign of the creature in Camelot. That was definitely a good thing, but it seemed as though we were putting off the inevitable. In the meantime, however, Lancelot had blown through basic training and was now facing his final challenge to become a knight.<p>

Merlin, Samantha, Gwen and I stood next to the practice field and watched as Lancelot and Arthur fought. Lancelot was hanging in there remarkably well, that was until Arthur got a lucky blow. Lancelot fell to the ground, his chainmail clattering as he landed, and Arthur bent down to get his flag. In a swift motion Lancelot kicked Arthur's feet out from beneath him. I heard Gwen begin to cheer so I followed along. The guards grabbed Lancelot by his shoulders. There was silence as we waited for Arthur's next move.

"Let him go." He said. "Congratulations Lancelot." Lancelot walked over to us with a smile across his face. Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He looked surprised but soon joined in. Lancelot was to be knighted that night.

* * *

><p>I looked around the room. I was dawning my best dress, as was Aleya, as we stood in the corner. I looked over at Arthur and he stared back at me. I quickly turned to Aleya.<p>

"What's Arthur doing?" I asked.

"Walking over here." She said. "He kissed you, maybe he'll ask you to dance."

"Go dance with Merlin." I said.

"I can't." she said.

"Why not?"

"He said that it was because I'm of noble birth and he is just a servant." She said. "If only he knew."

"If only."

"Now, go dance with your prince charming." She said. I smiled and went over to Arthur with a confident gate.

* * *

><p>I saw Merlin over in the corner. He looked at me and motioned for me to come over before he slipped into the corridor. I followed him as inconspicuously as I could.<p>

"What is this?" I asked.

"I can't dance with you in there." He said, "I can out here." I smiled. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"The creature. The Griffin. It can only be killed by magic." I said.

"I know." He said. Obviously he had made a trip to the library.

"Are you going to do it?" I asked. Now was as good of a time as any and I could not keep my knowledge of his magic a secret forever.

"I can't." he said.

"Rule one of a healthy relationship. Don't lie." I said.

"But…." He said I could see fear in his eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't breathe a word to anybody." I said with a smile.

"How did you know?" he said. I looked around.

"He's not noble and I saw the seal. It was real." He let go.

"You're not afraid of me?" he asked.

"It's not something to be afraid of. It's not the magic it's the user." I said. "And I know you well enough to know that you would not use it for evil."

I saw a look of relief fall over his face before he wrapped his arms tightly around me. I could tell that he had been hiding the truth for so long that he had nearly forgotten what it felt like to not have to lie to someone.

* * *

><p>Arthur and I were dancing. Honestly, I was in a castle, I was dancing with a prince, and I was wearing a ball gown. I felt like Cinderella. Then again Arthur wasn't exactly 'Prince Charming' he was nice though. I realized then that this is what needed to happen. This is what my destiny was, falling for a prat of a prince.<p>

"You're right." He said.

"About what?" I said being abruptly removed from my train of thought.

"Killing the Griffin." He said. "I am afraid that my father won't see it that way."

"I know." I said. "Just promise me this."

"What?"

"When you face it, you'll be careful."

"I promise." He said. I pulled myself closer to him hoping that the legends were right about him becoming the once and future king because I could not live with myself if he died.

* * *

><p>I was awakened by Aleya shaking me violently. I squinted at the pale moonlight and waited for my eyes to focus before I said anything.<p>

"What is it?" I asked angrily. I did not like being woken up. I liked to ease myself into consciousness slowly and on my own schedule.

"Lancelot has been arrested. Uther found out about the seal." She said. I sat up quickly, instantly I was awake.

"No." I said. Just then the warning bells went off. I ran over to the window to see Arthur and the knights in formation about to take on the Griffin. "Be safe, Arthur." I said.

"I need to go warn Merlin." Aleya said running out. I was left watching Arthur fight an impossible battle, completely defenseless to stop it.


	7. Lancelot Part Four

**Lancelot **

**Part Four**

**(Final)**

I was running. The beautiful courtyard now had rubble all around it. I saw the knights facing off with the Griffin. I felt fear. I was afraid not for me, but for the innocent citizens of Camelot. I ran into Gaius's chambers to see Gaius getting things together. Obviously for the rush of injured people that would surely be filing in once the dust had settled.

"Where's Merlin?" I asked. He looked up at me.

"He went to help Arthur." Gaius said. Without reply I ran out the door. I thought I heard Gaius telling me not to go but I just kept running. I ran into Merlin in the hall.

"Where's the Griffin?" I asked.

"They scared it off for now. What are you doing here?" he said.

"I came to find you." I said.

"That was stupidly dangerous." He said.

"I know." I said. "Is Arthur alright?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Of course." He said.

"Good." I replied.

Merlin insisted on walking me back to my chambers. I told him that I would be fine, but I took flattery in his refusal to listen to my pleas.

"Have you found a way to stop it?" I asked.

" I just have to do the spell correctly and hope it works." He said. "I've never done anything so powerful."

"When the time comes you'll be able to." I reassured him. I hoped that my words proved to be correct, even though I had not the foggiest as to how magic worked.

* * *

><p>Aleya and I stood in the council chambers. Arthur and Uther were talking about strategies to kill the beast. I knew that I would be useless. Nothing could be done. The creature would wipe them out and then everyone in Camelot.<p>

"They'll kill it." Aleya whispered to me.

"How?" I asked.

"Magic." She mouthed.

"Who?"

"Who do you think?"

"Really?" I asked.

"He'll be fine."

Once we were released Aleya and I walked out together. Merlin walked up behind us looking worried. He looked at Aleya.

"Lancelot is going to help the knights." He said.

"He'll be killed." I said.

"I'm going to go stop it."

"I'll come with you." Aleya said. I was surprised at the level of bravery that she had taken on in the past few days.

"I'll be fine. You need to stay here." He said. I saw on her lips that she began to argue, but stopped and nodded.

"Be careful." She said.

"Aren't I always?"

"How would I know?" she asked. I looked at her as he walked away. I had never seen such worry on someone's face.

"He'll be fine." I said. "Him and Arthur will come back, just you watch."

"I hope he is strong enough." She said.

* * *

><p>Darkness was looming as I sat staring into the courtyard below me. I was waiting for any sign of movement, any sign that Merlin and Arthur were returning to us. Samantha and I sat in silence, her stationed at the window opposite the bed. We were both nervous and afraid for our boys. When finally a flicker of movement caught my eye I thought that my eyes were deceiving me. I saw Lancelot leading the knights to the castle. Samantha saw and a smile broke across her face, she bolted out of the room. I continued to watch the group and saw that there was no sign of Merlin. I kept watching as my heart sank, I was hoping that if I continued to watch the outcome would change.<p>

I stood up and walked out the door and followed the path that Samantha had taken, only at a slower pace. I did not know what I would do if something had happened to Merlin when it was my job to protect him. I rounded the corner and to my great relief I saw him walking towards me. I smiled at him and he returned the smile.

"I guess….."I began.

"The griffin is dead." He said smiling.

"So you…"

"I did it." He said. My smile grew wider and I walked close enough to him that I could wrap my arms around his boney frame.

"I'm proud of you, Merlin." I said. We were interrupted by the sound of yelling that echoed from the council chambers.

* * *

><p>As soon as Uther saw Lancelot there was no stopping his mind. Judgment had been passed no matter what the circumstances were. I looked to see Merlin and Aleya walking towards me looking curious as to what was going on.<p>

"What happened?" Merlin asked.

"Uther and Arthur are deciding my fate." Lancelot said.

"But you killed the Griffin. You saved them." Merlin said. "Of course they will reinstate you."

"No Merlin, you saved them." Lancelot said. I saw Aleya give Merlin a look of pride.

"What? No I didn't" he said.

"I saw you. Listen it's alright. No more lies. No more deceit."

"What are you going to do?" I asked solemnly.

"The only thing I can do." He said. He pushed past the guards and into the room. We listened as he gave what was possibly the most noble speeches that I have ever heard and then he left. He walked away without a word. I knew that one day we would hear from the noblest knight of the round table again and he would receive the knighthood that he deserved.

* * *

><p>"Lancelot will be back." I said as Merlin walked me back to my chambers. I looked at him, trying to channel my confidence into him.<p>

"I know. When Arthur is king maybe he will be allowed to be a knight." Merlin said. What I loved about Merlin was his subtle wisdom. There were times when I believed that he was the wisest of us all.

"I get the feeling a lot will change." I said smiling. Merlin knew exactly to what I was referring and he smiled as well.

"I certainly hope so." He said.

* * *

><p>I slept well that night, for the first time since the ordeal with the griffin had begun. It was midday when here was a knock on the door and I opened it to see Arthur. I crossed my arms and stared up at him, he had a small gash on the side of his head, but other than that he was unscathed.<p>

"He should have been allowed to be a knight." I said to Arthur once I had assessed that he had not been harmed.

"If he ever returns I will assure that he is." Arthur said.

"You're going to be a great king." I said.

"I hope that you are right." He began, "I wanted to say thank you for what you said about him. You were right."

"I often am." I said.

"Right. I've got to go." He said.

"Alright." I said. He walked out. He was soon replaced by Aleya.

"What was that?" she asked.

"He wanted to thank me for talking some sense into him." I said.

"He needed it." She said.

"So…..Anything new?" I asked.

"No." she walked over to the window. "Who's he?" she asked. There was a man wearing a brown cloak.

"I don't know." I said attempting not to allow my curiosity to get the better of me.


	8. A Remedy to Cure All Ills Part One

**A Remedy to Cure All Ills**

**Part One**

Morgana had fallen ill and Gaius was certain that it was an inflammation of the brain. I did not know much about the limitations and knowledge of medicine in this time period, but it sounded bad. I could see a definite change in Gwen, she was obviously worried. That was the thing of it, Gwen and Morgana were not so much like servant and master as they were friends.

Since our arrival at Camelot, I had never seen Arthur act so fidgety. Him and Morgana had grown up together, they were like brother and sister and could not even imagine what he must have been going through. It seemed as though the whole kingdom was watching and waiting for news, either good or bad.

Arthur and I were slowly making our way through the courtyard, in complete silence, when we were approached by a man in a brown cloak. I searched my memories and identified him as the man that Aleya and I had seen three days earlier. He bore the scar of a burn down half of his face, although it was nearly completely covered by the cloak.

"What's your business here?" Arthur asked firmly, I noticed that he sounded very princely.

"My name is Edwin Buedin. And I have a remedy to cure all ills." He said.

"Is that so?" I asked, that was awfully convenient.

"I beg an audience with the king." He continued.

"Our court has a physician." Arthur said.

"I hear the Lady Morgana is gravely ill." He persisted and I knew that he was trudging in dangerous waters.

"That is no concern of yours." Arthur said with a bit of ferocity.

"I may be able to help her." He said. I looked up at Arthur, if anything that could be done to help would be welcome in my book.

"Our physician has the matter in hand." Arthur said.

"I'll be at the inn. In case you change your mind." He said. He walked away.

"What if he could have helped?" I asked.

"There was nothing he could have done. He sought profit." Arthur said.

"How can you know that?"

"Years of experience." He said as he forced a smile.

* * *

><p>I had discovered during my time in Camelot that there was not much to do. Boredom was something that accompanied nearly every passing hour. When I could no longer stand to be just sitting around I decided to go and check in on Gaius. Since the events with the griffin I had been trying to learn everything I could about the medical arts seeing as it might become necessary.<p>

I walked into Gaius' chambers and found the elderly physician bustling around the small room. Vials were strewn across the large table along with several books that had been tossed aside presumably for their lack of relevant information.

"Ah, Aleya. Come in." Gaius said when he noticed me. I walked further into the room. "What can I do for you?"

"I was actually wondering if there was anything that I could do to help. I know that with Morgana ill and Merlin off helping Arthur you might be in need of an extra hand." I said.

"That's very kind of you." He said. "and you have come at a most opportune time. I have some potions that need to be delivered if you don't mind." He said. He handed me the bottles and instructed me carefully on where they were to be taken. I assured him that I was up to the task and then I walked out.

I had only just made it into the courtyard when someone grabbed my arm. Initially I was startled but I swallowed my fear and turned to face the man. He was dawning a brown cloak that covered his head.

"I was wondering if you might be able to tell me where the inn is?" he asked. I thought for a moment as to how to direct him.

"You know what, I am terrible at directions so I'll just show you." I said smiling.

"I would be much obliged My Lady." He said.

"It's right this way." I said leading him there.

"Is there any news on the Lady Morgana?" he asked. I assumed that he was just making chat, but I wondered why he would want to know.

"The Court Physician is treating her. I really don't know that much about the healing arts, but I have been told that the situation is grave." I said.

"It is a shame." He said. I nodded.

"Right there it is." I said. He bowed and I watched as he walked into the inn. There was something not right about that man. I made quick work of delivering the potions before I set out to find Samantha.

* * *

><p>I heard the door open and I turned to see a confused looking Aleya standing in the doorway. She did not speak until she had taken a seat in one of the chairs.<p>

"Do you remember brown cloak guy from the other night?" She asked looking as though her mind was miles away.

"He came to Arthur and I today." I said assuming that we were referring to the same person.

"I just saw him. He asked me to show him to the inn." She said.

"He knew about Morgana and said that he had a remedy to cure all ills." I said.

"Do you think that he's telling the truth?" she asked.

"Arthur didn't think so." I said.

"I've got a bad feeling about him." Aleya said solemnly.

"He does seem strange." I said.

We were interrupted from our musings by a knock on the door. I walked over to the door, almost without thought to tripping over the long dress that I wore, and opened the door. Merlin was standing on the other side and I could tell by the way he was standing that there was something wrong.

"Come in." I said. I saw Aleya perk up when she saw him and then a look of concern crossed her face. He walked in cautiously, never breaking his stare at the floor.

"What's wrong?" Aleya said as she stood up.

"Gaius says that Morgana has hours left." He said. We all exchanged worried looks.

"What about Edwin? Surely Arthur has entertained that option." I said.

"Not as far as I know." Merlin said.

"I'm going to go talk to him." I said angrily. I walked out. Apparently it was my duty to keep the once and future king in line.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Merlin." I said. I was not really sure as to what I could say to make this better. I could not assure him that everything would be alright this time because for all I knew everything could go horribly.<p>

"I should go attend to Gaius." He said I nodded. He quickly walked out of the room and I was left alone. I knew what I had to do.

I hurried through the corridors of the castle, down the all too familiar path that led to the cavern. I hurried down the stairs and was greeted by the great creature sitting on the rock.

"Morgana is dying." I said. "Merlin is distraught. The whole kingdom is an emotional wreck."

"Have faith. She will survive." He said.

"How do you know?"

"The man, Edwin will save her."

"Gaius says that she is beyond saving."

"Gaius is right about the illness what he is wrong about is the cause."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying the obvious young one. You will soon see." He said flying off. Well, he was being especially vague today.

* * *

><p>I walked into Arthur's chambers without concern for knocking. He was sitting at his desk at the far side of the room with a quill in hand. I placed both of my hands on the desk and looked him in the eyes.<p>

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What does it look like I am doing?" he said.

"Don't get smart with me. Morgana is dying and you are too stubborn to save her."

"How am I meant to do that?" he asked. I couldn't believe that he was so thick.

"Edwin." I said. He looked as though I jogged a memory.

"Listen, Edwin may have merit as a physician but he is obviously just in it to con us out of a few shillings."

"Give him the shillings. Just let him try, surely if there was a one in a million chance that he might save her you must entertain the thought."

"Is that your judgment on the matter?" he asked.

"Yes." I said confidently.

"I will fetch him at once."

"Did I convince you?" I asked unsure of how he was so easily swayed.

"I've been pondering the question for some time, Samantha. You just gave me the right answer." He said before kissing me on the top of the head.

* * *

><p>There was something about Edwin that I could not quite put my finger on. Merlin and I stood as close as we dared in the presence of the king as we listened to the conversation that was occurring between the travelling physician and the king of Camelot.<p>

"I don't like it." I whispered to Merlin. He did not respond, he only offered me a worried stare. After moments of tense discussion Uther agreed to send Edwin up to examine his beloved ward. The physician requested to be alone to Samantha and I waited in my chambers.

"When did he arrive?" I asked looking at Samantha.

"About three days ago." She said. "The day after the griffin." She added.

"Morgana fell ill the morning after his arrival." I said trying to piece together the time frame. It was awfully strange that a man claiming to have a remedy to cure all ills would come just before illness struck.

"Do you think that he had something to do with it?" Samantha asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know, but isn't it just a bit strange the way his arrival corresponds with her getting sick?" I asked no one in particular.

"That would explain why he can cure it." Samantha said.

"I spoke with the dragon." I said.

"What did he say?"

"That Gaius was right about the illness but not the cause." I said.

"You take that to mean that Edwin did it?" she said.

"I don't know!" I said sitting down. "I don't understand him half of the time."

"Come on. You need some fresh air." She said grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Sam." I said, I knew it was useless to resist but I had to.

"No Aleya. Come on." We walked out the door.

* * *

><p>If Edwin were the cause then I could only imagine what his true motivation was and what his end game was. Aleya and I walked until she stopped and stared at Merlin. He was carrying boxes into the castle, Edwin followed him.<p>

"We need to find out all we can about him." Aleya said as she watched them.

"Come on then." I said as I led the way in pursuit of them. We followed them up to Morgana's chambers where Edwin asked to be alone. That was definitely a very shifty move. Arthur leaned against the wall beside of me as we waited while Aleya was whispering something into Merlin's ear. I noticed that the warlock shook his head and Aleya gave him a questioning look.

"Great news your majesty. You will be glad to hear that it is not an inflammation of the brain." He said. Uther brightened up immediately.

"What is it?" he asked sounding more hopeful.

"It is a cerebral hemorrhage." Edwin said. I saw Aleya glaring at Edwin as he presented the news. Gaius looked utterly shocked.

"Hemorrhage!" he exclaimed.

"I found this in her ear." Edwin said pulling out a cloth with an incriminating blood stain on it.

"How could you have missed this?" Uther asked Gaius.

"I did not see any blood." Gaius responded sounding the slightest bit bitter.

"Please, just thank the fates that you did not administer any more rosemary to stimulate circulation. Can you imagine what that might have done?" Edwin said. I could see it now. It was the way that he spoke that made him seem untrustworthy.

"What would that have done?" Arthur asked.

"It may have increased the bleed." Gaius said.

"Is there a cure?" Uther asked after looking at Gaius.

"See for yourself." Edwin said. Sure enough, Morgana had awoken.


	9. A Remedy to Cure all Ills Part Two

**A Remedy to Cure All Ills**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

I was walking towards my chambers when I felt a hand grab me and pull me into one of the alcoves. I looked up and saw Arthur's blue eyes staring down at me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"My father had offered Edwin a position as court physician." He said.

"What?" I asked in shock.

"He said that Gaius was getting too old and that he had nearly cost Morgana her life."

"You can't seriously believe that." I said. Arthur looked torn, I could imagine the position that this was putting him in. "Did he accept?"

"Not as of yet, but I don't think it will be long." Arthur said. "I must go." He left me alone in the alcove. I thought for a moment and then I turned towards Aleya's chambers.

"You're right." I said as I walked in.

"About what?" she asked.

"Edwin. Uther offered him a position as court physician." I said.

"What about Gaius?" She asked sounding shocked.

"He hasn't excepted the position yet but everybody appears to be under his spell." I said.

"Even Merlin." She said.

"Wait, did Merlin not believe you?" I asked.

"Like you said, he's under Edwin's spell." Aleya said forcing a smile. "I know what I have to do."

"What do you have to do?"

"I'm going to talk to Edwin." She said.

"Are you sure that is wise?"

"I won't be too hard on the guy." She said, "Besides, I have to do something."

* * *

><p>I knocked on the door to Edwin's chambers and waited. After a moment I heard a voice say to come in so I pushed the door open. I was shocked by what I saw, the table was strewn with several instruments that did not at all look like something that a physician would use.<p>

"Um….hello" I said as I walked over to the table.

"Those pesky belladonna petals always get misplaced." He said as he walked over with a vial containing some pink flower petals. "Ahhhh, I'm sorry. I didn't get your name?" He said.

"Oh, I'm Aleya." I said with a smile. "I just came because I wanted to thank you in person for what you did yesterday. The kingdom certainly would have suffered a great loss if Morgana were to have died."

"I just did what was necessary." He said.

"I must say that your timing was impeccable." I said, I had to remind myself that I was just here for information, not to incriminate myself as a loose end.

"Coincidence is the very basis of the world, my child." He said with a sly smile.

"It is odd. How one physician could say that it was one thing and another something completely different." I said.

"Physicians are often wrong." He said. I looked him in the eye.

"It's just difficult for me to believe that Gaius could make such a mistake." I said shaking my head, "He's had so much experience."

"I fear in this case that his experience is working against him." Edwin said. "Age tears down even the greatest of minds."

"Or causes them to grow in wisdom." I said getting tired of his insults. He glared at me for a moment and then turned back to the table.

"If that's all, I really must return to my work." He said sounding perturbed at my being there. I smiled and the turned for the door.

"Tread carefully, Edwin." I said.

"Is that a threat?" He asked sounding offended.

"It's a warning." I said before walking out the door and into the hallway.

* * *

><p>"He's too smooth." I said. Aleya had just finished telling me of her encounter with Edwin.<p>

"He's a word's smith." She said looking rather disgusted. "He majors in trickery."

"Listen, it's getting late. We'll come up with a solution to this problem tomorrow." I said before standing up.

"You said that Arthur is supiscious?" Aleya asked.

"He's getting there." I said, "I'll talk with him tomorrow and see if he knows anything about this man."

"Sounds like a plan." Aleya said.

"Night!" I said as I walked out the door.

"Good night!" She called back at me.

* * *

><p>I awoke on my own, although it felt nice not to have the curtains violently yanked open allowing the light to flood my eyes, I knew that something was amiss. Usually Aleya would wake me up. She was a morning person and that was exceedingly annoying. I flung my feet over the side of the bed and prepared myself to face the day.<p>

I knocked on the door to her room and when there was no answer I opened the door and stepped inside. She was still lying in bed. I rolled my eyes, I thought that she would be eager to figure out what Edwin's game was. I walked over to the window and pulled the curtain open.

"Rise and shine, Ally!" I said. She did not stir. I walked over to the bed and placed my hands on her shoulders, "Come on, Watson, I need you."

There was still nothing. I felt the blood drain from my face and my stomach did a swan dive. I did not want to admit what I knew had happened.

"Aleya. This isn't funny! Wake up!" she still did not move.

Before my mind regained the power to think I found myself running down the corridor, shoving past people in a mad dash. I did not bother with the pleasantry of knocking when I reached the physician's chambers. I pushed the door open to see a very surprised Merlin.

"Where's Gaius?" I asked between breathes.

"He's out." Merlin said. "What's wrong?"

"I can't get Aleya to wake up. I think Edwin did something to her." I said, Merlin's expression dropped and he threw down the book he had in his hand.

* * *

><p>Merlin led the way back to her chambers running far faster than I could keep up with. It was because of his long lanky legs that he could outrun me. He shoved the door open and was at her bedside in a flash. I could have sworn that she was paler now than she had been when I had left.<p>

"Aleya." He said as he gently shook her. "Aleya, I need you to wake up now." He continued. I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"She spoke to Edwin last night." I said. I should never have allowed her to go to him, he was a dangerous man.

"You think that he did the same thing to as he did to Morgana?" Merlin said looking over to me.

"I think that his timing is all too perfect." I said.

"I'll get him to cure her." Merlin said.

"He obviously thought that she knew something, Merlin." I said, "What makes you think that he would bring her back?"

"I may be able to." He said perking up.

* * *

><p>Merlin had been gone for several hours. I assumed that he was looking for a cure, or beating the snot out of Edwin. Either one was fine with me. I sat at Aleya's bedside watching her chest rise and fall steadily. Morgana's illness had progressed in a day to the point of death and it had been nearly a day since Aleya had been infected.<p>

I finally resolved that I could not simply sit there and did nothing. If Edwin was the cause of this then he had me to answer to. I stood up and made my way to the fraudulent physician's chambers. I opened the door without knocking, I was in no mood to be polite.

I was shocked at the sight that was before me. Edwin had his hand held out at Gaius who was leaned against one of the pillars with a ring of fire burning around him.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled over the sound of the roaring flames.

"He's trying to kill the king I couldn't let him." Gaius said. I turned to the door but before I could make my escape it slammed shut.

"I can't let you leave now, you've seen too much." Edwin said with fire in his eyes. There was a knock at the door and Merlin's voice called through it.

"Merlin! You have to save Uther!" I yelled through the door. An axe embedded itself into the door just above my head. I flinched and then turned to face my opponent. There was a decorative sword on the wall behind me so I drew it and held it at arm.

"Can you fight me like a man, or must you use magic as your tool?" I said. It was obvious that my words got to him because he dropped his hand and then drew a sword from something on the other side of the room.

"I can make quick work of you." He said with an evil smile. I had never held a sword before, much less fought with one. I held it up defensively and watched as he moved towards me. He swung at me several times and I struggled to keep the sword in my hand, but I still blocked his blows. I could tell that he was no swordsman, he did not have the fluidity that Arthur had.

Edwin was stronger than I was, but I was quicker. I used that to my advantage as I slipped behind him. My blade was dull but I managed to thrust it into his back. He stood for a moment, the sword still hanging within him, before he fell to the ground in a heap. The room got lighter as the flames were extinguished. I could not take my eyes off of the man that I had just killed.

"Are you alright, Samantha?" Gaius asked as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"He deserved it." I said, trying to convince myself.

In that moment Merlin swung the door open and stepped in. He looked at me and then down to the ground.

"Did you?" Merlin said. I nodded to him and we remained in silence for a moment.

* * *

><p>Merlin had been successful in his attempt to save Uther and Aleya. Apparently Edwin had utilized magical insects to cause the illness. I walked into Aleya's room to see her making the bed.<p>

"You shouldn't be doing that." I said as I shut the door behind me. She looked up and smiled, I noticed that the color had returned to her face.

"I couldn't just lay there." She said, "Besides, I've had enough sleep."

"Is one of the after effects of that thing crawling in your ear a lapse judgment?" I asked laughing.

"Merlin showed me those things. They're pretty gross." She said as she subconsciously rubbed the side of her head.

"I killed Edwin." I said as I sat down.

"How?" She asked sounding all to surprised for my liking.

"I ran him through." I said.

"Are you alright?"

"You know, I am. Is that bad?"

"It's not as though he was innocent." Aleya said as she sat down in front of me. "Who knows how many people he had killed before he came here."

"I killed a man and I'm not even shaken. What does that make me?" I asked still not able to shake my guilt.

"It means you know right from wrong. He wasn't innocent, Sam." Aleya said trying to comfort me. For some reason it didn't work.


	10. The Gates of Avalon Part One

**The Gates of Avalon**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>"You know, watching Arthur hunt wasn't exactly what I had in mind when you said that we were going for a nature walk." I said as Merlin and I followed Arthur along the pathway.<p>

"Come on, he usually keeps to himself when we're on hunting trips." Merlin said with a grin. Arthur had walked off into the trees moments before so Merlin and I followed him through the trees. When we found Arthur he had his bow aimed at a stag that was unsuspectingly eating a leaf.

"What is it?" Merlin asked as he ran into him knocking the crossbow out of line.

"You really are a total buffoon aren't you Merlin?" he asked angrily.

"I was just asking." Merlin said.

"Who, me or the deer?" Arthur said. "We're supposed to be hunting. It requires speed, stealth, and an agile mind."

"At least you're able to get by at two out of three then." I said. Arthur glared at me, but I just smiled back at him. He wasn't too happy about my being here in the first place. Before he could retaliate a scream echoed through the woods.

"What was that?" Merlin asked.

"Quiet." Arthur said. He was instantly alert. The scream called through the forest again and Arthur drew his sword. He ran off towards the source of the sound and Merlin and I followed him. When we arrived at the scene Arthur was taking on three men who were shabbily dressed and looked filthy.

I had no manner of helping so I looked up at Merlin to see that he was muttering something under his breath. I assumed that he was performing some sort of incantation. His eyes glowed gold and a tree limb fell on one of the men's head. Arthur ran one of the men through and the third one ran off in fear.

"And let that! Be a lesson to you!" Merlin yelled. I looked at him smiling. Arthur looked over his shoulder at him. "What?" he asked. "I was covering your back."

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Arthur asked. The girl turned her head and looked at him.

"No," she said. "thanks to you." She said with a smile that made me question her motives. I was sure that Samantha would love her. "I'm Sophia and this is my father."

"Arthur Pendragon." Arthur said. "At your service." He kissed her on the hand. Arthur was laying it on a bit thick.

"We should head back to Camelot. It's nearly night fall." Arthur said. He and Sophia led the way with her father following closely behind her.

"It seems as though you and I just cannot go for a walk in peace." Merlin said smiling.

"It seems as though you are right." I said laughing.

* * *

><p>I looked out my window and saw Arthur and a woman walking through the courtyard. He just could not go out without bringing home strays. I made my way down to the courtyard and met them in the hallway. I walked up to Arthur, ignoring the woman who seemed to be all over him.<p>

"How was your trip?" I asked him.

"I didn't kill anything, thanks to Merlin here." He said.

"Hey!" Merlin said.

"Who's this?" I asked with a fake smile.

"This is Sophia and her father." Arthur said.

"Samantha." I said holding my hand out.

Arthur led us into the council chambers quickly. Uther sat on his throne with his usual menacing glare. They identified themselves but I was not listening. Arthur was staring at Sophia in a way that made me very uncomfortable. I was only interrupted from my thoughts when I felt Aleya dragging me from the throne room.

"Deep in thought, were you?" she asked visibly attempting to hold back laughter.

"Who does she think that she is walking in here like that?" I asked. "She was all over him."

"Are you jealous by any chance?" she asked.

"No." I said. "Maybe a bit."

"Arthur won't do anything, Sam." Aleya said with a reassuring smile. "He knows that you're capable of killing him."

"I will kill him." I said, "So I am guessing that it did not go well today?"

"I don't think Merlin and I are meant to have a nice peaceful walk." She said as we made our way down the hallway.

"Where did you find her at?" I asked.

"Being attacked by bandits in the forest, Arthur did his hero thing and then Merlin trash talked them." She said.

"Arthur saved her?"

"Sam, he wasn't going to just let her die." She said.

"Could have" I muttered under my breath with sarcasm in my voice.

"Sam!" Aleya said in shock before laughing.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I walked through the lower town. The sun glared down on us, but it was far cooler outside than it was in. I had finally gotten Samantha to do something other than sulk over Arthur. I looked ahead and saw Merlin in the stocks. Children were pelting him with a constant barrage of fruit. I heard Samantha laugh a little.<p>

"What do you think he did?" I asked.

"I have no idea." She said. "You're boyfriends a bad boy." I glared at her.

"He's not my boyfriend." I said.

When the children had finally ceased to throw fruits at him I walked over. His face was covered with a multitude of colors, the most prominent being red. I had a hard time holding back my smile.

"So…How's it going?" I said as I tried desperately to keep a straight face.

"You know…same old." He said.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Lied to cover for Arthur" He said.

"Why?" I asked.

"He wanted some time alone with Sophia."

"He what?" Samantha yelled from across the street with fire in her eyes. I looked back down to Merlin, he pointed at the children who had returned with more ammunition.

"My fans are back." He said. I knelt down and kissed him on the forehead and ran off. Samantha was fuming mad when I returned to her.

* * *

><p>"I thought that you said you weren't that jealous." Aleya said as we made our way back to my chambers. I pushed the door open and walked in. I was not jealous in the traditional sense, I mean I did not own Arthur, but it still made me a bit angry that he did not feel the same way as I did.<p>

"I wasn't, until he showed interest in her." I said

"They'll probably leave soon Sam, then things will go back to the way they were." She said. I was not in the mood to be comforted. I wanted her to join in and say how terrible of a person Arthur was and how he did not deserve my affection.

"I don't care. He's still out there with her." I said. Arthur did test my patience on a near daily basis, but I still cared for the man.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Talk to scales." I said as I walked out.

* * *

><p>I walked out of Samantha's chambers and towards my own. I understood why she was angry with Arthur and to be honest, she had every reason to be. He would be lucky to have her, and I was going to inform him of that.<p>

I passed Morgana as I walked, she looked absolutely distraught. She grabbed my arm as I walked by her. I looked her in the eye and realized that she looked incredibly tired.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Have you seen Arthur?" she asked.

"I think he and Sophia went for a walk." I said. Her face dropped further.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing." She said as she released my arm and continued to walk down the hallway. She knew something and whatever it was, it did not bode well.

* * *

><p>"Arthur is a complete and total….." I said as I walked into the cavern. I was interrupted by the dragon swooping down onto his perch.<p>

"Do not worry Samantha, Arthur will remain true." He said.

"He's out gawking over her right now." I said.

"You must beware Sophia, she is not all that she seems." He said.

"I could think of some really nice adjectives to describe her." I said.

"Arthur's life is in grave danger." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You must keep a watchful eye on him." He said.

"I will, but he is an ass. You have to concede to that." I said. He flew back up into the ceiling and I wondered for a brief moment where he went when he flew away. I made my way out of the cavern, what could Sophia want with Arthur that I should beware of?


	11. The Gates of Avalon Part Two

**The Gates of Avalon**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>"I don't like her and I have good reason not to." I said as I walked into Aleya's chambers. She had a book on her lap. She stared up at me with a raised eyebrow.<p>

"What are you on about?" she asked.

"Sophia." I said.

"Listen, just because she is flirting with your man does not mean that she is satan incarnate." She said. I glared at her and then sat down in one of the chairs.

"The dragon told me that Arthur's life was in grave danger. This is what he meant. Sophia is going to do something to him." I said.

"The dragon told you?" she asked.

"Yes." I said. "He was very specific that I should beware of her."

"Alright. What would you like for me to do? I mean it's not like we can get a quart of ice cream and pop in Doctor Who." She said.

"I want you to help me expose her for what she really is." I said.

"And that is?" she asked.

"I don't know yet.

"Well when you find out what brand of crazy that she is let me know and I would be glad to help." She said.

"Fine." I said walking out.

* * *

><p>As I walked towards Arthur's chambers I ran into Sophia. It was not intentional, it just sort of happened. She was much shorter than me so I used that to my advantage. I stared down at her.<p>

"You need to stay away from Arthur." I said trying to sound and look intimidating. She looked at me strangely and I could have sworn I saw her mouth quirk up.

"What?" she said even though I could tell that she knew exactly what I was talking about. I continued my attempt at intimidation.

"Listen I don't know what you are planning to do to him, but let me tell you this. If anything happens to Arthur, I will find you and I promise that you will not like the outcome." I said. My threat was hollow, of course, but I had to say something to her.

"Jealousy is such an unattractive trait in a woman." She said with her head tilted. She shoved pass me and continued down the stairs. I was seeing red. _Being a murderous, jerkface is too!_ I thought but did not say aloud.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I stood at a safe distance to observe. Merlin was braced in the stocks and was being pummeled by fruit yet again.<p>

"This is getting to be a habit." Samantha said.

"I feel sorry for him." I said.

"Of course you do. I, on the other hand, think that it's absolutely hilarious." She said.

"It is sort of funny." I said. We waited for the children to run off to get more ammunition. I walked over to Merlin.

"What was it this time?" I asked.

"Arthur wanted to get out of a knighting ceremony." He said.

"Why do you keep covering for him?" I asked.

"I don't know." He said.

"Any news about Sophia?" I asked.

"Nothing. Arthur really likes her though."

"So much for him staying true" I said. I felt something hit me in the back of the head. I turned. The children had begun throwing tomatoes again. I began to walk away.

"You have fun with that." I said with a smile as I walked back towards Samantha who was killing herself laughing.

* * *

><p>After being told where he was by Gaius I walked into Merlin's room. He was lying face down on the bed and I almost felt bad to disturb him. I sat down on the edge of the bed and he did not stir.<p>

"Did you have fun with your friends?" I asked with a smile. He mumbled something but it was inaudible. "I can't hear you, love," He rolled over onto his back.

"They're not my friends." He said in a whiney tone and I could no longer hold back my laughter. He looked at me sternly before beginning to laugh himself.

"You shouldn't try to cover from Arthur. Uther may lose his patience." I said.

"Hopefully I won't have to anymore." He said.

"Sam thinks that Sophia is going to kill Arthur." I said. He sat up onto his elbows and looked at me with a wrinkled forehead.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I told her that I would help her when she found out what Sophia wanted." I said. "Or what she is."

"Are you up for a little investigating?" he asked. I smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask." I said with a smile.

* * *

><p>I knocked on the door to Arthur's chambers. When there was no answer I just walked in. Arthur was sitting at his desk .<p>

"Can I talk to you?" I asked, Arthur looked up at me.

"Of course" He said looking far too happy for my liking.

"It's about Sophia."

"Listen, I have already gotten that speech from Morgana."

"Well, you haven't heard it from me. Don't be taken in by the way she acts. I would hate to see something happen to you, you arrogant sod." I said.

Before he could respond I was out of the room. I had come to know Arthur well enough to know that all he really needed was a nudge in the right direction. He would consider my words, I had been successful in placing a seed of doubt within his mind. Now, whether or not he would make the right choice was another thing entirely.

* * *

><p>Merlin and I had seen Sophia's father making his way out of the citadel and we decided that following him might give us some sort of lead. We followed him to a lake that I had never been to before, but Merlin seemed to know where we were. I could not see anything except for flashing lights. Merlin turned and looked me in the eye.<p>

"Hold on." He said.

His eyes glowed gold and everything slowed down. Suddenly the lights were no longer just blurs on my vision, but I could identify them as blue fairies. Like Smurfs, but far more frightened. We listened as Sophia's father plead his case with what was apparently the chief of the Sidhe. Apparently he had killed another Sidhe and had killed another Sidhe and had been banned from Avalon, along with his daughter. The only way that he and Sophia could return to their home was if they offered up the soul of a prince, namely Arthur. Samantha was right, Arthur was in grave danger.

* * *

><p>Aleya had hurried into my chambers with news as to the true identity of Sophia, I was all too open to knowing what she was really planning. She told me about how her and Merlin had followed Sophia's father and how Sophia and her father were actually little blue people.<p>

"They're like Smurfs?" I asked Aleya who nodded.

"Merlin did some weird thing to my eyes and everything slowed down. That's when I saw them." She said, "They're like fairy Smurf goblin things."

"Sophia is a Smurf." I said in disbelief. I had seen a lot of things since we had come to Camelot and this was definitely not a stretch.

"Sam. Her father killed another Sidhe which got him banned from Avalon. Now he wants to get her back in, the only way to do so being to offer up the soul of a prince." She said.

"And of course they choose Arthur." I said.

"Because that's what every evil person would do." Aleya said.

* * *

><p>I stood in the council chambers next to Aleya. Arthur had said that he had an announcement to make. When he arrived he was holding hands with Sophia, I had to admit it was hard to not be angry with him, even though I knew that he was under her spell. He stepped in front of Uther and began to speak.<p>

"I requested this audience, father, to discuss a matter of great importance." Arthur said. Uther looked up from his papers. " It cannot have escaped your attention that I and the Lady Sophia have grown very close." I looked at her.

"Not too close I hope." Uther said.

"We're in love." Arthur said. It took all of my self-control not to slap him on the spot. "Which is why I come before you today to ask your permission to marry." I looked at Uther. Surely he wouldn't allow this. After a moment of silence Uther broke out laughing.

"Let me assume that you're joking." He said.

"No, I am not." Arthur replied. Arthur was really under her spell.

"No, I'm going to marry her." Arthur persisted.

"But you only met two days ago." Uther said.

"We're in love." Arthur said. Hearing this was like a knife to my heart. How could he be in love with that thing?

"In love." Uther said. "We had no idea you were such a romantic, had we Morgana?" Morgana looked frightened.

"No." she said. "He's full of surprises."

"I am going to marry her. I do not care what either of you think about it." Arthur said.

"I thought you'd come to ask my permission." Uther said.

"Out of courtesy, nothing more" Arthur said. He took Sophia's hand and began to walk out.

"Guards, door." Uther said. "You've forgotten whose court you're standing in."

"You won't stop me." He said. "If I want to marry her I will."

"Arrest Sophia and Alfrec" Uther said.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"And inform the executioner his services will be required tomorrow morning." Uther said. Aleya looked at me and raised an eyebrow. Maybe this problem would take care if itself.

"You can't do this." Arthur said. He was now face to face with Uther.

"Yes, I can. And unless you show me some respect. I will." Uther said. "Release them. Sophia is no doubt your first love but she most certainly will not be the only one. Enjoy yourself while you can." With that Arthur bowed in defeat and walked off.

* * *

><p>"It will be fine, Sam. Uther said. No." I said trying to comfort her.<p>

"That's not enough. It won't stop Arthur." She said.

"It'll be fine." I said.

"What if he does marry her? What if I can't fulfill my destiny?" she said. "What are they doing?" She was looking out of the window. I stepped over.

"They're leaving." I said.

"I have to stop them." She said making for the door.

"Sam, wait." I said. She turned.

"Listen Aleya, I have to try." She said.

"Be careful, the Sidhe are dangerous." I said. With that she walked out. Next question, where was Merlin?

* * *

><p>I pulled on my cloak and followed them. I wove through the woods trying to keep up with my targets without letting on that I was following them. They stopped at a lake and I knew what was happening.<p>

I could not hear what they were saying but Sophia hugged her father and let Arthur into the water. Alfrec began chanting something, I watched in absolute horror as Arthur fell into the water. I ran out and jumped onto Alfrec's back. It was now or never, and I had to protect Arthur. He began flailing around, trying to shake me off. I closed my eyes and held on desperately so that he could not finish the spell.

* * *

><p>When I could not find Merlin in his chambers I headed for Arthur's. When I opened the door I saw Merlin lying on the ground by the wall. I ran over to him with fear forcing itself upon me.<p>

"Merlin?" I grabbed him and began to shake him. He opened his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Where's Arthur?" he asked. "What's that buzzing noise?"

"What buzzing noise?" I asked helping him up. "Careful Merlin." I grabbed his arm as he nearly fell over and took me down with him.

"I have to go." He said.

"Merlin, you can barely stand up." I said.

"I'm fine." he said. He tried to pull away.

"Has that buzzing stopped?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said.

"Liar." He turned for the window. "Merlin." I said.

"What?" he said.

"The door's that way" I said.

"Just testing you" He said.

"I'm sure." I said as I followed him out.

After Merlin had shown that he was not capable of leading the way through the woods due to the after effects of whatever they had done to them I led the way through the woods to the lake where they were sure to have taken Arthur.

We made it to the lake and, were it not an extremely dangerous and serious situation, I would have laughed at the scene before us. Samantha was on Alfrec's back and he was trying desperately to sling her off.

"Sam!" I yelled, I ran over towards her while Merlin grabbed a scepter that was lying on the ground. He pointed it at Alfrec.

"Get down!" He yelled. I pulled Samantha off of the man's back and we both landed roughly on the ground.

"Arthur's in the lake!" Samantha said. She ran for the water where Sophia was now running towards us. Merlin pointed the scepter at her and she died in the same manner as her father. I followed Samantha into the water and Merlin did the same.

* * *

><p>I ran as quickly as I could into the water. Arthur had been under for far too long for my liking. I dove under and, while the water was far too cloudy to see in, I felt for Arthur. When I came up for air I saw Aleya pop up just across from me.<p>

"I can't find him." I said with desperation in my voice.

More quickly than my eyes could register, Merlin popped up from beneath the foggy water with Arthur in his arms. I felt myself let out a breath that I had not known I had been holding. Aleya and I helped Merlin drag Arthur out of the water and much to my relief he was still breathing.

* * *

><p>I sat by Arthur's bedside. He had still not awoken from the incident that morning. Gaius had given him a clean bill of health, which was comforting, but I still felt as though I needed to be with him. Much to my relief his eyes flickered open.<p>

"Arthur?" I said. He lifted his head up slightly and then dropped it back onto the pillow.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Can you remember anything?" I asked.

"My head." He said placing his hand on his forehead. "There was a girl. Sophia. I asked my father about her." My stomach sank. He sat up. "What was I thinking?"

"I don't know." I said, "The best part was when you tried to elope with her this morning. Merlin and I had a time trying to carry you back to Camelot."

"I what?" he asked.

"Ooh. It must have been some blow." I said.

"What blow?" he asked.

"Merlin knocked you out." I said. I knew how to get to him.

"Merlin managed to knock me out." He said.

"Well, Aleya got you on the ground first, I was far too busy laughing to do much of anything, and Merlin hit you on the head with a lump of the wood." I said, "I did make sure that he avoided your pretty face. It's one of the only things that you have going for you."

"No one can know about this." He said pointing a finger at me, "Ever."

"What? Would it be a knock on your pride?" I asked.

"Have you seen Merlin? What else could it be?"

"It looks pretty good on Merlin's behalf, and I prefer him to you right now." I said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, he hit you in the head with a lump of wood" I said.

"Wait, you said I tried to elope?" Arthur asked.

"Yes." I said.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Didn't seem to care much for me" I said.

"Samantha I …." He said. I interrupted him.

"Just don't try anything like this again, alright?" I said. "I will ensure that next time it's me who socks you across the head."

"I won't allow anything like that to happen again." He said as he took my head. I may have had uncertainties in the past, but now my destiny looked extremely bright.


	12. The Beginning of the End Part One

**A/N: Sorry about the issue with the HTML format showing through for the past chapters, it should be fixed now.**

**Thanks for reading and please review and let me know what you think!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Beginning of the End<strong>

**Part One**

* * *

><p>It had turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day, and after some work in the morning I managed to help Merlin get some time off. Arthur had given him a list of chores to do, but with a little bit of aid from me we had gotten them done in half the time.<p>

Merlin and I were now walking through the court yard. We had to remain as inconspicuous as possible considering it was hardly unbecoming for a lady to be hanging around with a servant. I knew that this stupid social construct would be demolished when Arthur became king, considering that he was well aware of Merlin and I and he had not said anything.

"Alright, you've always danced around this question." Merlin said, "What was Gallifrey like?" I had in fact danced around the subject of my fake former home that had been destroyed.

"It was nice." I said, "It was sort of like Camelot, but not nearly as much fun."

"I wouldn't use the word fun, maybe interesting." Merlin said, I laughed.

"Alright, Camelot is far more interesting." I responded. Merlin laughed again, he placed his hand on his head, "Merlin? Are you alright?" I asked, not quite sure what was going on.

"This way" He said. He led me towards a door that was built into the side of the castle. He stared across the street, I followed his gaze and although it took me a moment I finally saw the young boy that was hiding behind a cart.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"The guards are hunting him. You should go." He said.

"Not a chance." I said.

The boy looked over at us and Merlin motioned for him to come over. The boy began to run towards us. The guards had spotted him and as he ran, the pursued him across the road. Merlin and I were out of sight of the guards, but we quickly ushered the small boy through the corridor.

I had never been to this part of the castle, but apparently Merlin had. He led the way and I walked beside the young boy, holding his hand in an attempt to comfort him. We made it to a staircase when Merlin froze. I could hear the sound of boots hurriedly clicking on the stone floor. I led the way up the stairs and shoved open the first door that we came to.

We had wound up in Morgana's chambers. Morgana and Gwen looked shocked at our unannounced arrival.

"Have you forgotten how to knock?" Morgana asked sounding disgruntled.

"The guards are after him." I pleaded with Morgana. There was a knock at the door. He shouted, but I ignored him and continued to look at Morgana.

"Over there." Morgana said.

Merlin and I led the boy over into a the corner. Merlin pulled the curtain shut and joined me next to the wall. I looked at the boy reassuringly and placed my finger over my mouth, hoping that he would understand the meaning of the gesture.

Morgana opened the door and I could hear her talking to the guards. I held my breath. If the guards found us we would be executed for harboring a fugitive. I heard Morgana shut the door and I sighed with relief. I looked over at Merlin and then down at the boy who was lying in Merlin's arms. I pulled my hand off of the boys arm and saw that it was covered in red.

"How could they do this to a child?" I asked Merlin, not really expecting an answer.

* * *

><p>I had not seen Aleya all morning which was extremely odd. I knocked on the door and then walked in to see Arthur moving back towards the door.<p>

"What are you doing?" I asked as I stepped in the door and closed it behind me.

"Have you seen Merlin?" he asked with exasperation in his voice.

"No, why are you looking for Merlin in here?" I asked.

"I'm not blind. Merlin and Aleya have been joined at the hip since you two got here." He said.

"Well, I certainly would argue about the whole 'blind' part." I said.

"Have you seen my useless manservant?" Arthur asked.

"Nope." I said.

"Well if you see Merlin tell me." He said. He began for the door again when Aleya pushed it open and immediately clinched her hand into a fist.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked looking slightly frightened.

"Have you seen Merlin?" Arthur persisted.

"Not since this morning no." she said. I looked at her hand. Part of it looked red.

"If that's all Arthur" I said while trying to nudge him out the door. He nodded and walked away. Aleya unclenched her hand to reveal blood. "What happened?" I asked she was already moving around the room, grabbing random things. "Is that yours?" I persisted. She shook her head as she folded a blanket. "Aleya May Johnson, you tell me what's wrong." I insisted, I knew that by using her full name she would get the message.

"I can't." she said sounding as though she wished that she could.

"Why not?" I asked. I had never known her not to be able to tell me something and this was far too suspicious for my liking. "Whose blood is that?"

"There's this boy, he can't be more than ten. He was injured in an altercation with the guards, and you can't tell a soul, do you hear me Samantha?" She said with pleading eyes.

"You know me, my lips are sealed." I said, "Why were the guards after him?"

"He's a Druid, or at least his father was. Uther sent the guard after him and they wounded him. As it stands if he doesn't bleed to death the infection will kill him." She said sounding a bit shaken up. I nodded as her story sank in, Uther really did bear a blind hatred of magic so bad that he would try to kill a child.

"Can I help?" I asked.

"Keep Arthur busy." She said before taking up her load and walking out of the room. How on earth did she expect me to keep Arthur busy?

* * *

><p>I sat on the ground with the boy, who had still not told us his name or so much as muttered a word. I looked up at Merlin and Morgana once I had pulled the bandage tight around his arm. Merlin and Morgana were both staring out the window.<p>

As it happened, Uther had ordered the boy's father to be executed. Morgana looked over, unable to watch the event that was unfolding, to the boy and offered a comforting smile. I heard Uther talking, his words bore nothing but ignorance. It was amazing how someone could be so blind.

I picked out the part where he said that anybody harboring the boy was guilty of conspiracy. Uther would find out of our deceit, and when he did he would have all of our heads. Merlin closed his eyes as a resounding thud echoed through the courtyard. He turned to look and the boy who had his eyes forced shut. Suddenly, the mirror on the wall shattered, sending shards of glass everywhere. We all stared at the boy, partially in fear and partially in pity. Uther would have his head in a heartbeat for something that he was born with.

"We have to get him out of Camelot." Merlin said whilst shaking his head. I looked over at him.

"How?" I asked

"I'll figure something out." Merlin said.

* * *

><p>"What on earth are you doing?" I asked as Arthur barged into my room unannounced. I stood from where I was seated and glared at him.<p>

"My father has ordered me to search every room in the castle." He said as he went about going through my cupboard.

"For what?" I asked as I slammed the cupboard door shut, nearly taking his head off with it.

"The Druid boy" He said as though it were the most obvious thing for him to be looking for. I knew what this would mean for Aleya, if she was stupid enough to have the boy somewhere in the castle, which I knew that she was.

"You think that I'm harboring the Druid boy?" I asked wondering how bad of a mess Aleya had gotten herself into this time.

"Not really, but I have to look." He said.

"I have nothing to hide." I said before walking over to the bed and sitting down. He made quick work of searching the room and then walked over to me.

"You should, um, lock the door." He said as he stood at the door.

"A little boy is going to attack me?" I asked.

"He has magic which means that he is dangerous." Arthur said.

"Right" I said, Arthur nodded and then walked out of the room. It made me extremely sad that Uther had drilled such blind hatred and fear into Arthur's head.

"You should lock the door. Whoever this boy is he is dangerous." He said just before walking out. I was saddened by the fact the Uther had drilled such hatred into Arthur's mind.

* * *

><p>"Morgana," I began as I placed my hand on the boy's forehead, I did not want to admit what I knew was true. "He's developing a fever."<p>

"Do you know how to treat infection?" she asked.

"I have no idea. He needs Gaius." I said. At that moment there was a knock at the door. I pulled the curtains shut and Morgana went to answer it.

"We need Gaius." I said to him when he pushed through the curtains.

"I won't involve him in this. It's too dangerous." Merlin said.

"Do you know how to treat infected wounds?" Morgana asked.

"I've watched Gaius do it hundreds of times." He said.

"Why is that not comforting?" Morgana said as she sat down.

There was another knock this one, for some reason, just sounded more foreboding. Merlin pulled the curtain shut and joined me on the floor. I could hear the sound of Morgana's shoes clicking across the floor and then the door swinging open.

"I need to search the room." Arthur's voice echoed.

"You will do no such thing." Morgana said, sounding offended at the notion.

I looked through the curtains and saw a pair of worn boots sitting in the corner, completely visible to anyone who would come in. I elbowed Merlin and the pointed at them. How could we have been so careless? Merlin leaned forward and his eyes glowed. The boots started walking towards us. They stopped behind a chair when Arthur got too close and then started again.

I grabbed them when they made it behind the curtain and then glanced over at Merlin. He certainly was handy to have around.

* * *

><p>"Uther is a tyrant and a bully." I said as I paced around the room. I was frequently disgusted by the way that he acted towards magic, but now I was even more disgusted.<p>

"A bully?" I Aleya asked laughing. "Excellent wording"

"How can he see an innocent child executed?" I asked, "Just because he has magic doesn't make him evil."

"That, I cannot answer." Aleya said as she stood up. "I am worried about him, though. His wound is infected and Merlin refuses to get Gaius involved."

"Why?" I asked confused.

"He doesn't want Gaius to put Gaius in danger." Aleya said. I raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't hesitate to put you in danger." I said.

"That is different. I wanted to help." She said. I rolled my eyes.

"How do you plan to get him out?" I asked.

"I don't know." She said. "We can't move him until his fever is gone."

"And his fever won't go away until Gaius treats his wound?"

"Merlin is going to try to do it." Aleya stated sound as though she did not have much faith in his abilities physician.

"Do you think he can do it?" I asked.

"I certainly do hope so." She said as she stared out the window.n

* * *

><p>"He's gotten worse." Morgana said as she stood up. Merlin had attempted to treat the wound but to no avail.<p>

"We either let him die here, or by Uther's hand." I said staring at Merlin. He looked torn. I understood why he did not want to get Gaius involved, but sometimes you had to do things that you did not want for the greater good.

"I'll get Gaius." Merlin said before walking out the door angrily.

* * *

><p>"Why is your father so worried about this Druid boy?" I asked. Arthur had taken a seat at his desk, as usual, and I was sitting in the chair in front of it.<p>

"The Druids practice magic." Arthur said. I raised an eyebrow.

"And magic makes them bad?" I asked.

"Magic corrupts, Samantha." He said, "It turns you into a different person. That boy is as dangerous as his father was."

It saddened me to see how Arthur had been brainwashed. If only he knew that there was a sorcerer at the heart of Camelot and that Uther's ward was hiding a fugitive.

* * *

><p>"Oh, so you're involved in this too." Gaius said as he walked in, carrying his brown medical bag. He looked over at the boy and then back to Merlin. "I will treat the boy, but as soon as he is well you must get him out of Camelot." Gaius said before setting to work.<p>

"Thank you." I said.

* * *

><p>Gaius had treated the boy the day prior and already he was beginning to improve. We stood on the side of the street watching the guards as they searched a man who was attempting to leave the citadel. This would certainly complicate our escape plans.<p>

"The guards are searching everyone leaving the town." I said.

"There's another way out, it's a door behind a shield in the armory. I'll take the boy out that way." Merlin said. I was about to protest when Morgana beat me to it.

"No, it's too dangerous." She said, "I'll do it."

"I'm good with secret doors and things." Merlin said.

"If you get caught Uther will execute you." Morgana said. "The boy's my responsibility. I'll smuggle him out of the castle."

"You'll need a key for the door." Merlin said.

"Who has it?" she asked.

"Arthur." Merlin said.

"I'll get it." I said.

* * *

><p>"You want me to do what?" I asked thinking that I had misunderstood the question because it sounded like Aleya had just asked me to help her steal something from Arthur.<p>

"We need a key off of Arthur's belt to unlock to door. I need you to distract him while I get it." Aleya repeated.

"This is dangerous." I said.

"I know." She said.

"No, I mean stupidly dangerous."

"I just need you to use your womanly wiles on him." She said with a smile.

"I do have quite a few of those." I said.

"Will you do it?"

"Of course." I said. I knew that if the tables were turned she would do the same for me without a second thought.

I met Arthur in the hallway, I was still unsure as to what I was going to do to distract him, but it was now or never.

"Arthur?" I said. He turned and looked at me.

"Samantha. What can I do for you?" he asked. I smiled at him and stared into his blue eyes.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" I asked.

"I would love to." He said, "But I have training."

"Right, it's just. I wanted to know about….How you…..train the knights." I said attempting to hide the panic in my voice.

"Would you like to come and watch?" he asked.

"Really? That would be great." I said.

We were now almost to his room, where Aleya was doing something extremely illegal. I panicked as we rounded the corner and grabbed Arthur by the shoulders and swung him around. I pressed my lips against his. I saw Aleya walking down the other side of the hallway with the key held up. She gave be a thumbs up and I pulled away.

"Alright then" I said nodding. I walked away leaving Arthur standing in shock. That was the first time we kissed.


	13. The Beginning of the End Part Two

**The Beginning of the End**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>After I walked hurriedly away from a shocked Arthur I met Aleya in the hallway. She had a smile across her face and I knew that I was about to have hell to pay.<p>

"Good job with Arthur." She said with a sly smile.

"Shut up." I said as I shoved past her.

"No, really" She began as she followed me, "That was handled expertly."

"Shut up means stop talking." I said as I shoved open the door to my chambers, walked in, and flopped down on the bed.

"Thanks for distracting him." She said standing in the doorway.

"How are you going to get him out?" I asked sitting up.

"Morgana is going to take him through the armory." She said. "I've got to get this key to them." She said.

"Don't die." I said as she walked out.

"I'll try." She said and I heard the door shut behind her. Her and Merlin had the impeccable gift of getting themselves into unfortunate situations.

* * *

><p>I walked into Morgana's chambers to see her and Merlin getting the boy ready to travel. I handed Morgana the key.<p>

"Got it." I said with a smile. She took the key and then grabbed the boy's hand. I stood next to Merlin as we watched them move for the door.

"Good luck." Merlin said. Morgana nodded and then walked out the door. There was a moment of silence. "How did you get the key?" Merlin asked.

"Sam kissed Arthur." I said. He looked momentarily confused and then we made for Gwen's house for phase two of the plan.

* * *

><p>I had not even met the boy and I was still scared for his safety. I knew that Uther would not punish Morgana as severely as he would Merlin and Aleya. I had to admit that Morgana running the errand of smuggling the boy out was comforting. I did not like just sitting around and waiting. It drove me insane.<p>

* * *

><p>We sat in Gwen's house waiting. None of us dared to speak. To my relief we had not heard the warning bells yet. That was a good sign. I looked at Gwen, she had no reason to help us other than the goodness in her heart. I looked over at Merlin and I knew that he would do anything to help anyone. He felt for anyone with magic, I supposed that he could relate to them. He was, however, living in a very dangerous place. Uther's ruthlessness with this boy made me more nervous for him. If Uther found out that Merlin had magic then he would show no mercy.<p>

"They're coming." Merlin said as he looked out the window. Morgana led the boy inside of the house. Gwen was quick to move, she grabbed a leather satchel that had been packed.

"There's enough food for three days." She said as she handed Morgana the bag.

"Your horses are fed and watered. I'll take you to them." Merlin said.

"No." Morgana said. "There is no point in all of us risking our lives."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'm the king's ward. I'll take my chances." She said.

"Morgana" Gwen said pleadingly.

"I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you three." She said. "We must go."

We watched as they walked out of the safety of the house and into the dangerous darkness of the night.

"Do you think that they'll make it?" I asked Merlin. He looked down at me and then back out the window.

"We can only hope." He replied.

* * *

><p>"What happened?" I asked as Aleya walked hurriedly into my chambers. "Did they escape?" I asked as she sat down on the bed next to me.<p>

"They've made it out of the citadel." She said with obvious worry in her voice. "I'm not sure if they've made it to the forest though."

"They'll be fine." I said. I hoped that I was right, but I had a bad feeling about this entire operation.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I waited up late into the night, waiting for the warning bells to go off and hoping for silence. When the first signs of dawn were showing over the horizon I had went into my own chambers to get ready for the day.<p>

There was a knock at the door. I opened it to reveal Merlin. He walked in and I closed the door behind him. My stomach dropped.

"What's happened?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

"Arthur captured them." Merlin said, "They're going to execute the boy tomorrow morning." He finished. I was not surprised of the news, but it still hit hard.

"We have to get him out." I said, "We'll think of something else."

"He's in the dungeons." Merlin said sounding far too hopeless for my liking.

"Where's Morgana?" I asked. "Is she alright?"

"I think that she was taken to Uther." Merlin said. There had to be something that we could do.

* * *

><p>One of the good things about living in Camelot was that word travelled like wildfire. Gossip was one of the favorite activities of pretty much everyone. That is how I discovered that the boy and Morgana had been captured in their attempt to flee.<p>

I knocked on the door to Arhtur's chambers. When there was no answer I let myself in. He was not there so I sat down at the table and waited.

"Make yourself at home." He said when he finally walked in.

"I have a bone to pick with you." I said looking him in the eyes.

"Oh dear." He said as he sat down across from me. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Are you just going to stand around and let you father execute an innocent child?" I asked. He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"We've been through this Samantha." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"Arthur, the boy has done nothing wrong." I said.

"He has magic." Arthur said, "Leniency cannot be shown in the law simply because the outlaw is a child."

"I can see it in your eyes. You know that this is wrong." I said leaning forward.

"I doesn't matter what I know." Arthur said, "My father's mind has been made up. I could not persuade him."

"You tried?" I asked.

"Like you said, I know that this is wrong."

"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise that it does not leave this room." I said. He looked confused.

"What is it?" He asked. I told him everything.

* * *

><p>Merlin rocked back and forth in his chair nervously. Morgana had taken to pacing around the room and I was sitting, leaning heavily on the table.<p>

"I promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to him." She said, I was not sure if she was talking to us or just thinking out loud.

"You can't blame yourself, you did everything in you power." Merlin said.

"It was not enough." She said.

"Are we going to just sit here and feel sorry for ourselves, or are we going to try to save him?" I asked.

"He's imprisoned now there is nothing left we can do." Merlin said.

"We cannot just let him die." I said.

"What can we do?" Morgana asked.

"Jailbreak" I said. "Can I count on your help?" I asked as I stood up.

"Of course." Morgana said. Merlin nodded. I walked out of the room, we had one weapon against Uther left at our disposal."

* * *

><p>I could tell that Arthur was having a difficult time absorbing the torrent of information that I had just given him. He had not so much as made a sound since I had told him about the Druid boy.<p>

"You realize that they could be executed for that?" he asked, "Yourself included?"

"Are you going to turn me in?" I asked. He looked appalled by the idea.

"Of course not" He said. There was a knock at the door. "Not now." Arthur said, whoever was outside did not listen and the door swung open.

"I need your help." Aleya said as she shut the door.

"Sit down." Arthur said. She moved over and took a seat next to me. "What possessed you to think that it was a good idea to harbor a fugitive?" He asked, Aleya paled.

"You told him." She said looking at me in shock.

"It's alright, he's going to help us." I said looking at Arthur pleadingly "Isn't that right?"

"I'll do what I can." He said in resignation.

* * *

><p>Arthur paced around the room as Morgana, Merlin, Samantha, and I sat watching and waiting. The silence of the room put me on edge.<p>

"Obviously we'll have to get him out of the dungeons." Arthur said, "It would be too dangerous to try to save him from the executioner."

"I'll do whatever I have to." Morgana said.

"You can't." Merlin said, Morgana glared at him.

"Merlin's right, if my father finds you he won't show mercy." Arthur said.

"If the boy escapes Uther will suspect her" I said.

"Maybe if you were with Uther when the escape happened" Samantha said looking at Morgana.

"That's a good idea." Arthur said, "You will go to him tonight and dine with him. He cannot hold your responsible if you are with him."

"How are we going to get him out of the castle?" Samantha asked.

"I'll take him out through the burial vaults." Arthur said, "Merlin if you'll get my horse and meet me there. There is a grate that covers the outside of the tunnel so you'll need a rope and a grappling hook." Arthur finished.

"Merlin?" I asked seeing that he was looking very uncomfortable.

"I'll do it." He said after some hesitation.

"If you're not there to help us then we will surely be caught." Arthur said, "Aleya, you'll need to come with me."

"Why?" I asked.

"I was the one who took him to the dungeon, he won't trust me." Arthur said.

"Alright" I said.

"We'll set out at nightfall." Arthur said.

* * *

><p>"You ready?" Arthur asked when I walked into his chambers. He was strapping his sword on. I nodded at him.<p>

"As I'll ever be" I said with a fake smile. I knew how dangerous this mission was for everyone involved.

We made it to the dungeons quickly and Arthur took out the guards, carefully knocking each one of them unconscious. I grabbed the set of keys and walked over to the cell. The door opened with a click and I saw that the boy was cowering in the corner.

"It's alright." I said as I moved into the cell. I knelt down in front of him and smiled, trying to comfort him. "We're going to get you out of here." I said.

I held out my hand and after a moment of thinking he took it. I led him out of the cell and Arthur led us into the burial vaults.

* * *

><p>After a futile attempt to just wait and see what happened I decided that I would help Merlin. It was nearly dark, but with a little bit of luck I would catch him before he left. Gaius let me go into his room where I found him lying on the bed.<p>

"Merlin!" I yelled. He sat up quickly. "What the hell are you doing?"

"We can't save the boy." He said.

"Why not?" I asked getting angrier by the moment.

"He's going to kill Arthur." Merlin said. I felt fear immediately, but my fear was drowned out by the sound of the warning bells going off.

"Merlin, you're not just saving the boy now. You're saving Arthur and Aleya." I said, "Now get your arse out of this bed and come on!"

* * *

><p>We had made it to the end of the tunnel. The grate allowed the pale moonlight to sift into the tunnel. Merlin was nowhere to be seen.<p>

"Where is he?" Arthur asked.

"He'll come." I said. I heard the sound of boots clicking on stone from the other end of the tunnel. Arthur drew his sword and stood up.

"Protect the boy." He said. I wrapped my arms around the boy, if Arthur had to fight his way out of this then I could not allow the boy to be injured.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Merlin and Samantha running towards the gate. Merlin quickly attached the hook to the bars and he and Samantha pulled. For a moment I feared that he would not be able to remove it. It popped off with a loud clatter to my relief. Arthur and I quickly walked out of the tunnel and into the open. Merlin replaced the grate and then we ran to the horses.

Arthur slid onto his horse easily and then Merlin helped the boy up onto the horse. Arthur stared down at us.

"If my father asks where I am tell him that I've gone on a hunting trip." He said. Merlin nodded.

The boy looked at me and then to Merlin. _I'll be seeing you again, Emrys and Aleya._ A voice said in my head. Somehow I knew that it was the boy. Merlin looked at me suspiciously and then nodded at the boy. Arthur rode off into the distance and I felt enormous relief.

I wondered why I could hear the boy. I also wondered why he had referred to Merlin as Emrys. All that mattered, however, was that out mission had been successful and the boy was safe from Uther's wrath.


	14. Excalibur Part One

**Excalibur**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>I watched with pride as Uther placed the crown upon Arthur's head. He was now the crowned prince of Camelot. I was proud of him, of course. Arthur was now one step closer to becoming the greatest king that Camelot had ever known.<p>

"You seem happy." Aleya said with a smile as she looked over at me.

"What would give you that impression?" I asked.

"It is pretty impressive." She said, "Crowned prince."

"I'm proud of him. I mean, look at that lump. It's amazing that he's still alive." I said. She smiled at me.

This was the first time that I really felt a true sense of belonging in Camelot. Without warning I heard the sound of glass shattering. I looked over to the window and saw a scene that resembled a scene in Doctor Who where the Doctor had burst through a mirror into a ball room.

This, however, was definitely not the Doctor. The horse was black and its rider was a knight dressed all in black. It was definitely an eerie sight. It approached Arthur who, along with the other knights, was forming a protective wall around Uther. I watched partly in fear and partly in curiosity.

Whoever this knight was, he certainly knew how to make an entrance. He stopped in front of Arthur and threw down his gauntlet. It clattered to the ground and there was silence in the room. Arthur was about to pick it up when one of the knights scooped it up.

"I, Sir Owen, accept your challenge." The knight said.

"Single combat, noon tomorrow" The knight said, "To the death"

The horse reared up onto its hind legs and then walked out the way it had come in. There was silence in the room, aside from the sound of crunching glass. I had a bad feeling about this knight.

* * *

><p>"I have a bad feeling." Samantha said as she paced anxiously around the room. "Who just jumps through a window like that?"<p>

"Owen shouldn't have taken up the challenge." I said as I stared out the window. The black knight was standing in the courtyard. "He's not frightening at all." I said with sarcasm in my voice. Samantha walked over behind me and followed my stare.

"He's just standing there." Samantha said, "Waiting"

"This reeks of magic." I said shaking my head.

"How can we stop him?" Samantha asked, "If you're right, Sir Owen is going to be pummeled."

"All we can do is wait and see what happens." I said.

"I'm going to get some sleep." She said.

She walked out slowly. Once she was gone I pulled my cloak on and listened at the door. I heard her door click shut at the end of the hall and then I walked quickly through the darkened castle towards Merlin's chambers. I climbed the stairs and then pecked on the door. When there was no answer I peeped my head in.

"Gaius?" I said. I stepped all the way in and Merlin stepped down the stairs.

"Is everything alright?" He asked looking concerned.

"What do you think about the black knight?" I asked. He shook his head as he sat down at the table.

"Gaius couldn't tell me anything." He said. I sat down across from him.

"An ominous black knight crashes through the window of Arthur's coming of age celebration and he didn't find that the least bit odd?" I asked.

"He said that he didn't get a good enough look at the seal to determine who it belonged to." Merlin said.

"Where is he now?" I asked. Merlin looked around and then raised an eyebrow at me. It was obvious that this was the first time that he had thought about where Gaius was.

"That is an excellent question." He said. I laughed.

"Do you think that Owen has a chance tomorrow?" I asked, unable to stifle my worry. Merlin shrugged his shoulders.

"He is a knight, Aleya." He said as though that should comfort me. "He's been training his entire life."

"You know that he wouldn't stand a chance against magic." I said.

"We'll just have to wait and see." He said.

"You're right." I said.

* * *

><p>The sun glared down on us as Aleya and I sat in the stands, anxiously awaiting the battle to begin. Even though I had only spoken to Sir Owen briefly, I still felt worried for him. He had struck me as a very nice man, then again, all of the knights were generally nice people<p>

The black knight just stood there, waiting and watching. I was not sure how he could be so patient, but he had stood out in the courtyard well into the night. Sir Owen walked out onto the field and the knight turned. They stared at each other and drew their swords.

Arthur walked out onto the field with his red cloak flowing behind him. He looked both of the knights over and then began to speak.

"The fight shall be to the knight's rules, to the death." He said. He moved off of the field. "Let the battle commence." He said once he had reached safety. The knights began to clash swords and the battle began.

"Come on, Owen." I mumbled.

I watched as the two skilled fighters clashed swords continuously, almost too fast for my eyes to follow. Owen thrust his sword into the black knight's stomach and a gasp escaped the crowd in unison. The knight did not so much as flinch. He continued to fight with the same ferocity that he had before receiving the fatal blow.

"Did he just?" Aleya said looking terribly confused at the sight before us.

"I think he did." I said.

"Then how?" She said

"I have absolutely no idea." I said.

We continued to watch the fight and it seemed as though Owen was losing ground. Sir Owen's armor clattered as he fell to the ground and we watched in horror as the black knight raised his sword and thrust it downward. I saw Aleya look away at the sight.

The knight turned to face the crowd, his fallen opponent lying behind him. He pulled off his gauntlet and it hit the ground with a loud clatter.

"Who will take up my challenge?" The knight asked. Arthur attempted to get up but thankfully Uther grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"I," I knight said as he picked up the gauntlet. "Sir Pellinor, shall take up the challenge." He said staring at the knight.

"So be it." The knight said. He picked up his sword and took his gauntlet and then walked out of the arena.

* * *

><p>I led the way out of the stands and over to Merlin who was standing with Gaius. Gaius had just returned from making certain that Sir Owen was dead.<p>

"He took a blow." I said.

"He should be dead." Samantha said.

"Gaius thinks that he already is." Merlin said.

"I'm not following." Samantha said.

"He may have been conjured by sorcery." Gaius said.

"For what purpose?" I asked.

"Uther has many enemies. Most think it more brutal to go after his heir." Gaius said.

"Of course they do." Samantha said.

"If my theory is correct, then it will be easily proven." Gaius said. Follow me.

* * *

><p>Gaius led us deep into the castle, further than I had ever been. We found ourselves in what appeared to be the burial vaults.<p>

"Are you sure that we should be doing this?" Merlin asked sounding a bit fearful. It was frightening, to say the least. The room was utterly dark and the only thing that could be seen was the faint outline of the various statues that decorated the tombs of the dead.

"You're not scared are you?" Gaius asked.

"No. I love old crypts." Merlin said. The door slammed behind us with a loud clank. It took away what little light there was. "I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere else." He added.

"Shut up." Aleya muttered with laughter in her voice.

"Must have been a gust of wind" Gaius said in an attempt to rationalize the door closing so suddenly. It still made chills run down my spine, however.

"Yeah, must have been." I said trying to believe the words myself..

"We should have brought a torch." Gaius said. Merlin looked at one of the unlit torches hanging from the wall. He said something from the old religion and it lit.

"Oh." Aleya said. "Handy."

"You bet" He said with a prideful smile. We continued to walk down the stairs and I realized that if this place was frightening in the dark, it was ten times more frightening in the light.

Gaius looked around for a moment and then something caught his eye. He walked quickly over to a tomb that, upon further examination, had a large crack running down the center.

"Holy zombies, Batman" I said as I looked from the tomb over to Aleya who gave me a look of disgust.

"Someone's broken out." Merlin said.

"Wonderful." Aleya said nodding.

"The black knight" I said as I looked at Gaius. Judging by the look he bore he knew exactly who this mystery knight was.

"Tristan Dubuar." Gaius said. "He was Igraine's brother."

"And who's Igraine?" I asked.

"Arthur's mother." Gaius said.

"Why would he want Arthur dead?" Merlin asked.

"Igraine died while giving birth to Arthur and he blamed Uther." Gaius explained as he relived old memories. "Tristan challenged Uther and Uther won. With his dying breathe, Tristan cursed Camelot and promised to one day return/ I thought it was merely the ramblings of a dying man."

"So now he's taking his revenge?" Aleya asked while shaking her head/

"It would appear so." Gaius said with a deep sigh.

"If he's dead though, how do you kill him?" I asked

"No mortal weapon can kill it." He said.

"Then what do we do?" Merlin asked.

"I do not know." Gaius said.

* * *

><p>"You ready?" I asked as I stood in the doorway to Samantha's chambers.<p>

"If this thing wants Arthur dead, and no mortal weapon can kill it, then what are we supposed to do?" Samantha said as she stared out of the window.

"We'll figure something out, Sam." I said.

"I can't let him die." She said.

"We should go." I said.

* * *

><p>We watching in anxious anticipation as Sir Pellinor took on the black knight. Aleya and I both knew what his fate was. He stabbed the knight in the stomach and had a moment of victory before it was killed. The knight did not fall, despite how much I wanted him to.<p>

"No." Aleya mumbled. The black knight braced himself and then ran the sword into a very surprised Sir Pellinor. Aleya looked away, but I stared at the black knight as he turned to face us.

Before Uther could stop him, Arthur dropped his gauntlet down onto the ground and looked at the knight defiantly. I felt my stomach drop. He really was an idiot.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, challenge you." Arthur said.

"So be it." The knight said.

"Single combat, noon, tomorrow." Arthur said. The knight took up his sword and walked out of the arena. One thing was certain, we had to find a way to kill it.

* * *

><p>I stared across the courtyard at the knight. He stood there, waiting. Arthur would be killed and I was not sure what that would mean for Samantha or Merlin.<p>

"I've got an idea." Merlin said causing me to jump. I turned and looked at him while trying to control my heartbeat.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." I said.

"Sorry, but I may be able to stop him."

"How?" I asked getting a bit excited.

"I'm going to try to burn it." He said.

"Alright." I said.

Merlin incanted a spell that I could not hope to decipher and fire shot across the courtyard engulfing the knight in a bright blaze. Suddenly, the fire died down. The knight slowly turned his head towards us.

"Run?" I said

"I think so." Merlin said. We took off running away from the mysterious, seemingly immortal black knight.

* * *

><p>I stood outside of Arthur's chambers for a long while, as I tried to piece together exactly what I was going to say to convince him against fighting tomorrow. So far I had Jack and squat. Finally, I knocked on the door and heard a low mumble come from the other side so I walked in. He was standing next to the window, obviously staring at the black knight who had taken up residency in the courtyard.<p>

"Arthur?" I said as I walked closer to him. He turned and stared at me.

"I know why you're here." He said after he turned back to the window. I sighed at the realization of how stubborn the once and future king could be.

"Arthur, this is suicide." I said abruptly. He began to shake his head. "He will kill you." I said putting emphasis on the word 'kill' in the hope that I would be able to get through his thick skull with my words.

"I can defeat him." Arthur said with surprising confidence.

"Oh" I began, "Like Sir Owen and Sir Pellinor did?" He exhaled sharply and looked over to me for the firs time since we began speaking.

"I am confident in my abilities, Samantha."

"How do you justify your confidence?" I asked getting rather put off by his unfailing cockiness. He quirked his lip at the side.

"It's a mixture between raw talent and hard training." He said. "I'll be fine Samantha."

"I hope so." I said. He walked over and wrapped his arms around me. I did not want that moment to end, for I knew what the dawn would bring.


	15. Excalibur Part Two

**Excalibur**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>I stared down at the old, dusty book that I had been reading for the past hour. Merlin was sitting across from me, engrossed in his own old, dusty book that he had been reading for the past hour. We had yet to find anything of any consequence as to how to kill the knight. I was beginning to wonder if such a weapon even existed.<p>

"How did you get in here?" A voice called from across the room. I recognized the roecord keeper walking over to us, looking very cross.

"The door was open." Merlin lied. In truth he had used a handy bit of magic to open the locked door.

"It was not, I locked it." The record keeper said confidently.

"The someone must have opened it." I said as innocently as I could manage.

"So you two thought that you would just come in her an help yourselves?" he asked.

"We're looking for a book. For Gaius." Merlin said.

"He believes that the black knight is a wraith." I said.

"Then Arthur is in grave peril." He said.

"That's why we're here. I need to find a weapon that will kill something that's already dead." Merlin said.

"I've read of such things in the ancient chronicles." He said.

"Really? What did they say?" Merlin asked.

"Several fables speak of ancient swords." He said.

"That can kill the dead?" I asked.

"The swords that the fables speak of could destroy anything, alive or dead." He said.

"Can you show me one of these fables?" Merlin asked.

"Let me think." He said, "Yes." He stepped over to the shelf and began looking through the books at an excruciatingly slow pace.

"We're sort of in a hurry." Merlin said.

"Yes, you young people always are." He said. After what seemed like an eternity he found the fable. "This is the Chronicle of Meltain." He said. "Now then, ah here we are." He began reading. "So Marhouse looked upon the sword begotten in the dragon's breath and found it passing."

"Wait, what did you say? About the dragon?" Merlin asked.

"The great sword begotten in the dragon's breath." He repeated. Merlin just walked out. I looked at the record keeper.

"Um...he's a bit strange." I said anxiously, "Thank you for your help." I muttered when I did not recieve a response. I stood up quickly and followed Merlin. I was not quick enough to catch up with him so I went the only place that I could go, to see the dragon.

"Arthur's going to fight a wraith." I said. He looked at me.

"What is it that you ask of me?" he said.

"The wraith can only be killed by a weapon forged in the dragons breath, you being a dragon I was wondering if you could make such a weapon?" I asked.

"I am capable of it. Already the young warlock is preparing." He said.

"For what?" I asked.

"He will bring the sword to me, you must not be here when he does." The dragon said.

"Right, thank you." I said before starting back up the stairs. I once I reached the top of the stairs I ran towards Samantha's chambers.

* * *

><p>I was at a complete loss. Gaius had no idea what sort of weapon could be used to kill the undead and I felt as though if his vast knowledge showed nothing of any consequence than I feared what I could accomplish. I felt horrible about just letting Arthur face an impossible battle, but what would I tell him? That his magic, dead uncle was after him because his mother died? There was no explanation for this that did not sound completely insane.<p>

I looked out the window at the knight, who was standing in the courtyard. Just waiting. I heard the door open and I turned to see a very excited, out of breath Aleya/

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Arthur won't die." She said between breathes.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Merlin and I have been at the library. The record keeper showed us a book that said a sword burnt by a dragon would kill the dead." She said.

"It's lucky that we have a dragon on hand." I said as I began to gain hope. Maybe this would not be Arthur's final battle.

"Have you given Arthur the sword?" I asked.

"Merlin's handling that." She said. I let out a sigh of relief. After having watched Arthur fight, I knew that his fighting skills were superior to the knight. He would defeat this opponent, just like any other.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the tournament and even though she did not show it, I knew that Samantha was nervous for Arthur. She had left early for the arena while I had decided to go and find Merlin, just to make sure that he had given Arthur the blade.<p>

I ran into him as Uther led the way from the armory. I curtsied as he walked by. Merlin followed and stopped beside of me, Uther was too distracted and he kept going.

"What's going on?" I asked. Merlin looked around anxiously.

"Uther plans to take Arthur's place." Merlin said. My eyes must have went wide because Merlin nodded.

"Does he have the sword?" I asked.

"I gave it to him." Merlin said, "It was supposed to be for Arthur, though."

"Well, look at it this way. At least now Arthur's life isn't at risk." I said in an attempt to look on the bright side.

"Yeah...yeah that's good." Merlin said sounding distracted.

"We should go." I said. Merlin nodded as he was broken out of his nervous trance.

* * *

><p>Aleya shuffled through the stands awkwardly before taking her seat next to me. She looked eagerly out onto the field.<p>

"I need to tell you something." She said I looked t her in confusion.

"Can't it wait?" I asked as I looked out onto the field. "Here comes Arthur."

"Not Arthur." Aleya said. It was only then that I was able to identify the man as Uther. I was shocked.

"What the hell is he doing?" I asked.

"Saving Arthur" Aleya said with a small smile. I turned my attention back to the fight that was about to take place.

I was not doing a very good job of hiding my shock. Uther may have come acrss as a cold and calculating man, but Artur was his soft spot. Uther stood in front of his opponent and I held my breath. Aleya did not seem worried so I assumed that Uther had the sword.

Fights, as usual, were extremely stressful. With each sword fall I flinched, I had never seen Uther fight. I hoped that Arthur got his talents from somewhere, because he certainly was not ready to be king. If Uther fell, then so would Camelot.

Uther knocked the knight's helmet off to reveal what was possibly the most frightening thing that I had ever seen. The knight's face was an eerie shade of brown and every vain was clearly visible. His eyes were sunken in and he truly looked like he had spent years in the grave.

The knight knocked Uther to the ground and raised his sword. He thrust it towards the king only to be met by a shield. Uther stood up while the knight was trying to free his weapon from the shield. With one swift motion Uther ran the knight through.

There was silence for a moment. The knight looked down at his wound and then began to shake rapidly. Uther shielded himeself with his arm as the black knight convulsed and then exploded all over the arena.

"So, if you stab a wraith it explodes." I said.

"It would appear so." Aleya said while she nodded. Uther raised his helmet and the stands errupted with cheering. Once again Camelot was safe from the forces of evil. It was only then that I realized that we had a very cross Arthur on our hands.

* * *

><p>I walked out of the stands and over to Merlin who was standing at the railing, looking rather pleased with himself.<p>

"What about that fight?" I said with a smile.

"It was good." He said. "Who knew that Uther could handle a sword."

"Where did you come by a sword that was begotten in the dragon's breathe?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"It was in the armoury." He lied.

"I'm glad you found it, or Camelot would have been short a king." I said. There was a reason, however confusing it might be, that the dragon did not want me there when Merlin arrived with the sword, and I wanted to know why.

* * *

><p>I guessed that I would be able to make Arthur feel better, or at least make an attempt at it so I walked to his chambers. Arthur was sitting at the table, twirling his dagger around on the table.<p>

"Uther locked you in your room." I said. "Rather humorous if you ask me."

"It should have been me who fought." He said.

"It's over, the knight is gone, take a break." I said. "Besides, you still haven't taken me for that walk." I said.

"Alright then, my lady. Would you like to go for a walk?" he said.

"I would like that, my lord." I said. He grabbed my arm and we walked out the door. I felt tremendous relief that he had not had to fight. I had come so close to losing my destiny that I had considered life without him. I couldn't bear the thought.


	16. The Moment of Truth Part One

**The Moment of Truth**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>It had been a week since the incident concerning the black knight and things seemed to be falling back into as normal of a pace that was possible in Camelot. It was not until I was pulled into the council chambers that I realized that this sense of normalc would be short lived.<p>

Uther sat upon his throne, with Arthur standing to his right and Morgana at his left with Gwen. Aleya and Merlin stood as close as they dared to as they listened. A woman was standing timidly in front of Uther.

"The winters are harsh in Ealdor." She began. "And there are many children. Some of them just won't be strong enough to survive. We barely have enough food as it is, and if Canaan takes out harvest, our children won't live to see another summer. Please, we need your help." I looked at the woman. I wasn't sure how Uther could refuse her. Let alone let the children of her village starve.

"Ealdor's in Cenred's kingdom." Uther said. "Your safety is his responsibility."

"We've appealed to our king, but he cares little for the outlying regions. You're our only hope." She said. I saw Arthur give Uther a glance. If Uther was too cold hearted to help, I was sure that Arthur would. Uther leaned forward in his chair.

"I have the deepest sympathy for you." He said. He was going to deny them. "I would have this barbarian wiped off the face of the Earth."

"You'll help us?" a sudden look of hope fell over the woman's face.

"I wish I could." he said. I saw Aleya glare at him. She knew something that I didn't. I stared up at Arthur, pleading with him to say something. He looked at me and nodded.

"Surely we can spare a few men." He said.

"Resources are not the problem." Uther said.

"Then what is?" Aleya asked probably more angrily than she should have.

"Ealdor lies beyond the ridge of Eseteir. For an army of Camelot to enter, it would be an act of war." He said. My chest began to tighten as I listened. The woman got down on her knees.

"I know you're a good king, a caring man. I'm begging you, help us please." She said.

"The accord we have struck with Cenred was years in the making. I cannot risk hundreds of lives for the sake of one village." He said. "I'm afraid Camelot cannot help."

The woman hung her head and Aleya moved over to her and wrapped her arms around the woman. I saw Merlin giving Uther an angry stare as Aleya helped the woman up.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I walked out of the council chambers in disappointment. I understood Uther's reasoning for his refusal, but I still did not see how he could stand to sit idly by while a village was wiped off of the face of the Earth. I could tell by the look on Samantha's face that she had questions for me.<p>

"Who was that?" She asked as we rounded at corner. It looked as though it had been killing her to keep her silence.

"Merlin's mum." I said.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Samantha asked.

"I don't know." I said as we walked out onto the balcony. I saw Merlin and Arthur standing at the railing talking.

"Do you think that Merlin will go back to Ealdor?" Samantha asked.

"Probably." I said.

"What if he does?" she said.

"I'll go with him." I said. I had thought it over since we had met Hunith on the street. I had my suspiscions that Uther would not help. If Merlin was going to go and risk his life fighting this Canaan bloke, then so was I.

"And leave Camelot?" Samanha asked sounding shocked.

"It's your destiny to protect Arthur and mine to protect Merlin." I said shaking my head, I did not want to leave Camelot, but it was the only option that I had.

"If you leave I'm leaving." She said.

"Sam, you don't have to…." I began she interrupted me.

"You're the only person this side of a thousand years that I can talk about Doctor Who with, so yes, I am going with you. Don't argue with me further because her comes Merlin." She said, I knew that her reasons were deeper than just discussing a science fiction show, but I was touched by her sentiment. I looked over and saw Merlin walking towards us. I did not know whether he had heard us talking or was just coming to talk with me about his plans.

"Can I talk to you?" He said, looking a bit upset.

"Of course." I said knowing what this conversation would entail.

"It's about my mother." He said.

"You're going back to Ealdor." I said.

"My first responsibility is making sure that she is safe." He said in an attempt to defend his choices.

"I know, Merlin." I said, "I would have done the same for my mother."

"I guess this is goodbye, then." Merlin said.

"I wanted to tell you that I intend to come with you." He opened his mouth to begin to argue but I silenced him, "Listen, you would do the same for me. I can fight, and it seems like you're going to need all of the help that you can get." I lied, in all honesty I had never held a sword in my life.

"You can't." he said.

"I very well can." I said. "I want to help." He nodded.

"We're leaving as soon as I can get packed." He said.

"I'll be ready." I said. He walked past me, but I lingered for a moment. Just when I was starting to feel at home in Camelot I was leaving it all behind. Merlin was worth it, however.

* * *

><p>I walked over to Arthur, who was still staring off the balcony at the ground. I was not sure how he would react to Merlin leaving, much less me.<p>

"I need to talk to you." I said awkwardly as I came up beside of him.

"What about?" He asked as he got a frightened expression on his face.

"I'm going to Ealdor with Merlin and Aleya." I said quickly, willing the words to come out smoothly. He looked shocked for a moment.

"What?" He asked.

"Aleya is my sister and I have to look after her." I said, "I can't let anything happen to her."

"Are you sure that you have to leave?" He asked.

"I'm afraid that I have no other choice." I said. He gave a fake smile, "I'm sorry." I said as I placed my hand on his.

"Will you return?" He asked, his blue eyes looking hopeful.

"I hope so." I said with a smile. He wrapped his arms around me. I did not want to leave him.

* * *

><p>I stood, my satchel weighing on my back, as I watched Merlin and Gwen pack. Gwen handed Merlin a sword.<p>

"Tell me how it feels." She said. He held it in his hand and examined it thoroughly, looking all together confused by the weapon.

"It's good." He said nodding, he pecked on it with his fist, "Very...swordy."

"I've packed some armor for you." Gwen said.

"I won't be able to carry all of that." Merlin said. The door came open and I saw Samantha walk in, struggling to manage her own bag.

"You won't have to." Samantha said. "I'm coming with you." Merlin looked at me confused and I shrugged my shoulders.

"You're going to need all of the help that you can get, dear." I said with a smile. "I can fight and Samantha is just a joy to be around."

"She's right." Samantha said with a smile. I truly was thankful for her, it had to be hard for her to leave Arthur behind to help me. "Besides, if it were the other way around, you would do the same for us."

I stared at the horse, no, the beast that stood before me with nervousness. While I had overcome some of my fear regarding horses, the still made me uneasy.

"Do you want me to help you up?" Aleya asked as she led her's over. Merlin had gone to fetch his mother and then we were going to set off on our trek.

"I've got it." I said.

"It's not going to hurt you, Sam." Aleya said as she mounted her horse.

"Horses are dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle." I said as I stared the creature down. I placed my foot in the stirrup and pulled myself up onto the beast.

* * *

><p>We had ridden throughout the day and into the night. We had made quick work of setting up camp and out of nothing more than exhaustion I fell asleep. I was awoken by the sound of a twig snapping in the dark forest. I looked over at Merlin, who was still asleep. I crawled over to him and gently shook his shoulder. He sat up quickly and I placed my finger over my mouth to silence him.<p>

I pointed in the direction from which the sound had originated. He stood up as another stick snapped in the woods. He drew his sword and we walked into the woods, me following closely behind him. We walked for a moment nd then Merlin stopped and turned to face me.

"Perhaps it was just an animal?" He said. Before I could warn him someone walked up behind him and placed a sword to his back.

"I would ask you for money, but I know you don't have any." I heard a voice say.

"Arthur." Merlin said swinging around and almost taking Arthur's head off in the process.

"Put the sword down Merlin, you look ridiculous." Arthur said as he took the sword from Merlin's hand and placed it in mine. He stalked through the woods towards camp and with a smile on my face, I followed.

* * *

><p>I awoke after what seemed like no sleep. I had never been one for early mornings, and I did not intend to start now. I sat up and saw that we had acquired an extra person at some point in the night.<p>

"I thought you were in Camelot?" I said looking at Arthur who was currently eating a grey, pasty substance that Merlin had presumably concocted.

"I've discovered that it's rather dull without you." Arthur said as he took another bite of the slime. I laughed.

"Aleya, I told you that he would not be able to survive without me." I said looking at my friend who was rolling up her bed roll.

"She did." Aleya reassured Arthur while nodding.

* * *

><p>After cleaning up the camp site and putting out the fire, we began for Ealdor. We were only a few hours away, which seemed like an eternity when it was travelled on horseback, but I could not complain.<p>

As we conquered the last hill I could see the small village in the middle of a valley. I looked over to Merlin, who was riding directly beside of me.

"So this is where you grew up?" I said with a happy smile. Merlin laughed and then nodded. It was only then that we heard yelling coming from the seemingly peaceful valley.

* * *

><p>Arthur was the first to hear the war cries and screams of terror that echoed through the valley. He swiftly brought his horse to a gallop an thundered down the hill. Although it terrified me to reach such a speed on a horse, I followed being him.<p>

Arthur threw a dagger at a man that was about to take an axe to a villager's back. The dagger embedded itself in a post, but its message was recieved as Arthur jumped from his horse and drew his sword in one swift movement.

I decided to use my height as an advantage as I continued to ride into the town, sword drawn. I thrust my sword down onto a man who had taken hold of my ankle before realizing that this method of attack was not proving to be worth the risk.

I slid off of the horse and it bolted through the crowd skirmishing people and out of the town. I readied myself to attack anyone who came near me. I was not at all trained with a sword, but I figured that I would just have to learn quickly.

I took one of the bandit's attention off of a woman, who was cowering in an alleyway, and onto me. He was bigger, stronger, and a better swordsman, a sign that did not bode well for my chances. He hit and sliced and stabbed at me to the point where I was merely playing defense. Finally, he pinned me against a wall, my sword being the only thing between me and my imminent, painful death.

He smiled evilly as he pushed the sword down, he knew that he had the strength advantage so he got too cocky. His smile turned to shock as I saw the tip of a sword push through his chest. He fell to the ground to reveal Aleya holding a sword that looked terribly strange in her hands. She smiled at me and shrugged her shoulders before going off to face another opponent. We discovered that the only way we could take down one of those brutes was if we worked together. She would distract him and I would come in for the kill. It became systematic over time.

It was not long before the battle was won and the bandits retreated in defeat. As we watched them run into the woods a rough looking man rode at the edge of the town. I assumed by his look that he was the infamous Canaan.

"You'll pay for this with your lives, all of you." Canaan said as he followed his rag tag group into the forest.

"You hear that, Ally?" I said.

"He sounds a bit cocky to me." She mumbled.

"Especially considering we just schooled those noobs." I yelled with a smile. Aleya smiled back at me, but I could see in her eyes the fear of what his next attack would bring. Her and I had barely survived this encounter, and we did not have much in the lines of trained men. The odds were certainly against us.


	17. The Moment of Truth Part Two

**The Moment of Truth**

**Part Two**

* * *

><p>We watched as Canaan rode away in defeat. His threat hung in the air, causing a great tension to arise amongst everyone. Arthur moved into a position where he could speak to everyone.<p>

"I know Canaan's kind, he'll be back. When he returns we must be ready for him." Arthur began. "First of all we must prepare..." He was interrupted by a man that was pushing his way through the crowd.

"Am I the only one wondering who the hell this is?" he asked.

"I'm Prince Arthur of Camelot." Arthur said. The man let out a laugh.

"Yeah, and I'm Prince William, of Ealdor." The man said.

"Keep quiet he's here to help us." Hunith said.

"He's made things worse. Canaan will be back and when he is he'll be looking for revenge." Will said. "You've just signed our death warrants."

"He just saved Matthew's life." She said.

"This is his village, what would you have us do?" Arthur asked.

"We can't fight against Canaan, he has too many men." Will said.

"So what's the alternative?" Arthur asked.

"Give him what he wants." Will said.

"Then what?" Arthur continued. "Those of you who don't starve to death, will face him again next harvest. And the harvest after that."

"We'll manage we'll survive." Will said.

"How?" I heard someone ask.

"The only way he can be stopped is if you stand up to him." Arthur said.

"No. you just want the honor and glory of battle, that's what drives men like you." Will said. "Listen, if you want to fight. Then go home and risk the lives of your own people, not ours." He walked away. Merlin ran after him. I waited for Arthur to say something else. He seemed to have been rendered speechless.

"I suppose that it's needless to say, I'll fight with you." I said in an attempt to break the silence. I elbowed Aleya who jumped and then said.

"So will I."

"I'll follow you." Hunith said. "If I'm to die, then I want to go out fighting."

"That goes for me to." The man who Arthur saved said. Several people began to step up and say that they would stand with Arthur. Maybe we actually stood a chance against Canaan. Or maybe this would be our final battle. Whatever happened, I would go out fighting.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I had spread out our bed rolls on the floor and were now trying to get some sleep. The house was dark and quiet, so I assumed that everyone else was asleep.<p>

"Do you think that we stand a chance?" I asked as I looked over at Samantha.

""We are terribly outnumbered, we have only one trained swordsman, and a bunch of frightened villagers." Samantha said as she stared up at the roof. "Other than that we're golden." She finished as she looked over at me.

"Canaan is going to be hard to stop." I said, although I was stating the obvious.

"If anyone can help these people, it's Arthur." Samantha said. I nodded and then we fell back into silence. Defeat was not the only thing that worried me, Merlin's abilty to fight caused me great emotional turmoil.

I had seen Merlin when he was helping Arthur train, the man could barely hold up the sword. I knew that he could easily wipe Canaan off the face of the planet, but he would go to his death to prevent Arthur from finding out about his magic.

I assumed that no matter what happened or where we wound up, I would always be worrying myself about Merlin.

* * *

><p>I awoke early, mainly out of anxiousness. I did not know what the dawn would bring, but I had a sort of sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew that the odds were inumerably stacked against our cause, but for some reason I still had a small amount of faith.<p>

I knew that this battle, that was just over the horizon, could mean the death of any one of us. As we were all crammed in the small house, I realized just how much that I had come to love this rag tag group of heroes. I looked over at Arthur, my destiny, as Merlin was helping him with his armour.

"Sitll haven't learned to dress yourself?" I asked looking at the crowned prince with defiance.

"If you don't have a dog, you fetch the stick yourself." He said. "No offense Merlin."

"None taken." Merlin said.

"Don't worry, Merlin. You're much cuter than a dog." Aleya said with a smile. I laughed, they both had strange ways of showing their affection.

"Prince Arthur, you didn't finish your breakfast." Hunith said as she walked over to Arthur with a bowl in her hands. Arthur looked terrified at first, but then he took the bowl.

"Didn't I?" he asked.

"Eat up." I said once Hunith was out of ear shot. He stared at me and then at the contents of the bowl. He stirred the spoon anviously and then handed the bowl to me.

"Right, let's get going. We need wood, and lots of it." He said as he walked out. I looked at the bowl, its contents not looking much different than Merlin's concoction the previous morning. I walked over to Hunith and handed the bowl to her.

"Arthur said that it was delicious, he just didn't have much of an appetite." I said in an attempt to clean up Arthur's mess. I could hear Aleya snickering in the distance as the walked out the house.

"Right, let's get going, we need wood. Lots of it." Arthur said walking out. I looked at the bowl. It didn't exactly look like the most appetizing thing in the world. I turned to Hunith and handed the bowl to her.

* * *

><p>As I watched what Arthur as he trained the men, I realized just how bad our odds. Arthur was trying desperately to train the villagers, but the results of his efforts were certainly not showing. Samantha walked up beside of me and we watched for a moment.<p>

"How bad are the odds?" She asked, though I could tell that she already knew the answer to her question.

"I don't know." I said while shaking my head, "Canaan has trained fighters and we have-"

"The group of angry villagers." Samantha interrupted.

"Exactly." I said, my hope quickly fading.

The thought crossed my mind as to what would happen if we were not able to stop Canaan. That was an avenue that we did not want to go down.

"Arthur doesn't have enough men." Samantha said.

"Arthur thinks that they are the only ones who can fight." I responded, hating the archaic views that the prince held.

"I'll convince him otherwise." Samantha said confidently as she walked towards Arthur. If anyone could convince him, it was her.

* * *

><p>"What are you thinking?" I asked as I walked up to Arthur. He turned and looked at me in confusion.<p>

"I don't know what you mean." He said.

"We've reached one of those key moments where I tell you what you need to do and you completely ignore me and I wind up being right. We should just skip the first part." I said.

"What do you want?" he asked with a look of fear coming over his face.

"You don't have enough men. If they were trained soldiers, maybe, but they're not even close."

"What are you leading to?"

"You need to allow the women to fight."

"No." he said.

"Come off it, Arthur. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and you don't stand a chance."

"I'd say we have an excellent chance."

"How's the training going?" I asked, and as I spoke one of the men dropped his sword.

"It's going." Arthur said. I rolled my eyes.

"You need to reconsider you position." I said, my words like knives, before I walked off and left Arthur speechless.

* * *

><p>The day had not been fruitful, Samantha and I had done our best to sharpen and ready the swords for the impending battle. I could tell that the overal morale of the entire town was falling.<p>

"I don't think that this will end well." Samantha said as we laid on hard floor, trying in vain to get some sleep.

"I know." I said quietly.

* * *

><p>Dawn had come, and I realized just how much you cherished the sunrise when you knew that it could be your last. It was not the impending attack that really bothered me, it was the not knowing when the attack would come.<p>

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard a scream. Arthur blew past me, but I followed closely behind him out. The man hat Arthur had saved when we arrived was hanging from his horse with an arrow sticking out from his back.

"Get him down." Arthur said as we got closer. Two men pulled the man off of the horse and I noticed that the arrow was holding a note.

"What does it say?" I asked as Arthur pulled the note off.

"Make the most of this day, it will be your last." Arthur said. A woman shoved me into Merlin as she ran over to the man.

"Matthew, no!" she yelled. She knelt down next to him.

"You did this." Will said coming through the crowd. "You've killed him."

"It wasn't his fault." Merlin said.

"If he hadn't been strutting around and treating us like his own personal army none of this would have happened." Will continued.

"These men, are brave enough to fight for what they believe in, even if you aren't." Arthur said.

"You're sending them to their graves!" Will said. Arthur lowered his head. "You've killed one man, how many more have to die for you to realize that this is a battle that can't be won. When Canaan comes you haven't got a chance. You're going to be slaughtered." Will finished his rant as he stormed off and into his house.

* * *

><p>I stood, waiting, outside of Wil's house. I litened as him and Merlin spoke. When Will walked out I stepped into the door way and saw Merlin staring at a suit of armor that was hanging on a dummy.<p>

"He's wrong." I said as I stepped in. "You're not abandoning them." Merlin remained silent for a long moment.

"What if I am?" He asked. He turned and stared at me. "I can't just let them die tomorrow when I know that I can stop it."

"Merlin, if it comes down to that, I know that you will make the right choice." I said. Despite the many doubts that I had about our chances of success, I knew that if Merlin could save these people he would.

"Are you going to fight?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"That's why I'm here." I said.

"You need to be careful." Merlin said.

"Are you worried about me?" I asked with a sly smile.

"I'm always worried about you." He said as he wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"You need to be careful too." I said.

"I'm always careful." He mumbled.

* * *

><p>"Tomorrow morning, women and children should gather what belongings they can and head for the woods." Arthur said. We were all gathered in one of the huts as Arthur attempted, and failed, to rally the troops.<p>

"We're not going anywhere." Aleya said.

"I know you want to help, but women can't stay here. It's too dangerous." Arthur said.

"Women have as much right to fight for their lives as the men do." I said as I looked Arthur in the eyes.

"None of you know how to fight." Arthur said.

"The fact is, the more of us there are the better chance we stand." Aleya said. All of the women took a step forward.

"This is your home, if you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice." Arthur said. "I'd be honored to stand alongside you. Canaan attacks tomorrow. Canaan is brutal, he fights only to kill. Which is why, he'll never defeat us. Look around, in this circle we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone is ordering you to, you are fighting for so much more than that. You are fighting for your homes. You fight for your families. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace. And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes. You're fighting for your very right to survive. And when you're gray, you'll look back on this day, and know that you fought for the right to live every day in between. So you fight for your family, for your friend. For Ealdor!" Arthur finished. We all began chanting, 'For Ealdor' I could only speculate as to what the sunrise would bring.


	18. The Moment of Truth Part Three

**The Moment of Truth**

**Part Three**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>We were silent with solemnity. Aleya and I watched as Arthur and Merlin readied their armor. Merlin began to have trouble with one ofthe clasps. Aleya stepped over him and gently moved his hand out of the way. She then fastened the clasp with little difficulty.<p>

"Right then." Arthur said as he looked over at us. "If this is the last time that I am to see you for all hat you have done for me. I cannot begin to express my gratitude. Thank you."

"Right then." He said. "If this is the last time that I am to see you, I want to thank you for all that you have done for me. I cannot begin to express my gratitude. Thank you." We all looked at Arthur, but before anyone could respond someone came to the door.

"He's crossed the river." The man said. We all knew what the odds were, but we still had to have faith that we could overcome this. Aleya silently slipped out the door to start the fire and then Merlin, Arthur, and I walked out and watched as Canaan's men rode across the field.

"What's taking her?" Arthur mumbled nervously. Merlin ran off towards her as the men got ever closer.

* * *

><p>I could not get the hay to light. The flint was producing sparks, but they just would not ignite. Merlin ran up behind me and held out his hand. The hay caught fire as he incanted a spell. I picked up my sword and we waited for the signal.<p>

"Now!" I heard Arthur yell.

"Good luck." I said.

"Be safe." Merlin said before he ran off into the battle. I followed him, only to be stopped by a bandit. I fought with him with more close calls than I had hoped for before I finally saw an opening and slid the sword across his exposed stomach.

We were deep into the fight when I realized that we were going to lose. It was hopeless. I turned to see a man about to hit me with his sword and I was frozen where I stood. Before he could lower his sword an inch Arthur pushed in front of me and blocked the blow that would have killed me. He mad quick work of taking the man down.

"Thanks." I said as my senses came back to me.

"Don't mention it." He said as he went back into the battle. I did the same, if I was going to die here then I would go out fighting.

I turned towards one of the huts an saw Aleya pinned between it and a sword. She was holding her ground, barely, but I knew that she could not last for long. I began to make my way over to the hut when I was stopped by a wind current. I did not know what was happening, but it seemed as though only Canaan's men were feeling the ful force of the current.

When the wind had subsided, Canaan's men fled for the woods in defeat. I turned to Arthur who had a smile on his face.

"We did it!" I yelled as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He picked me up off of the ground and twirled me.

"Pendragon!" A yell echoed around us. Arthur and I both looked and saw Canaan walking towards us, axe in hand.

Arthur drew his sword and stepped in front of me. Arthur managed to disarm Canaan, but Canaan retaliated with kicking Arthur in the stomach. Arthur fell backwards onto the ground with a thump, but as Canaan was lowering his sword, which he had picked up from the bodies of one of his fallen men, Arthur rolled out of the way.

The fought for a quick moment before Arthur got the upper hand and thrust the sword into Canaan's stomach. Canaan crumpled to the ground. Arthur began to walk over to us, but he did not look happy.

"Who did that?" he asked.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere. I know magic when I see it. One of you made that happen." He said. I saw Merlin and Aleya stiffen up.

"Arthur." Merlin said, sounding defeated. Aleya grabbed his arm protectively and glared at Arthur. I looked over my shoulder at the carnage of the battle and saw that Canaan had sat up and was aiming his crossbow at Arthur. I could not react qickly enough, but Will shoved Arthur our of the way, only to take the arrow himself.

"Will!" Merlin yelled as Will fell backwards. Merlin caught him in his arms.

"You just saved my life." Arthur said in shock.

"Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking." Will said.

"Come on! Get him inside!" Arthur yelled. They carried him into one of the huts to treat his wounds, but it was not long before Arthur emerged. He simply shook his head.

* * *

><p>I held Merlin's hand as we stood in front of the pyre. Merlin had not spoken much since Will had died. I wished that there was something that I could say, something that I could do to make him feel better.<p>

"I'm sorry." I said. Merlin did not speak, he just tightened his grip on my hand. We stood there in silence.


	19. To Kill a King Part One

**To Kill a King**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>It was a throbbing pain that woke me from my sleep. I sat up in bed and looked around, confused for a moment. The feeling that I had in my head seemed similar, but far more painful, to the feeling that I had had when the Druid boy had spoken to me. I stood up and pulled on my cloak and walked into the dark corridor. If there was anyone who could give me answers, it was the dragon.<p>

I walked down the all too familiar path that would lead me to the dragon's cave. As I rounded the corner I met Gwen, who ran into me. She looked frantic. She did not speak, she just walked down the corridor. I followed behind her. She led me to the physician's chambers.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked as he walked into the room. His hair was disheveled as though he had just woken up.

"My father has been arrested." She said.

"Arrested for what?" Merlin asked.

"They said that he was making weapons for a sorcerer. They're charging him with treason." Gwen said.

"That's ridiculous." I said.

"I know." Gwen said. "Please Merlin you have to help me!" she said.

"I will, just calm down." Merlin said.

* * *

><p>We had decided that if we were going figure out a way to free Gwen's father, then we would need to know exactly what happened. Due to the late hour we were able to get into the dungeons with little difficulty. Gwen went over to speak with her father and I stood with Merlin waiting.<p>

"Why were you awake?" I asked as I looked at Merlin.

"I felt the magic of that stone." Merlin said, "It was powerful." While I was curious as to why I had felt the potent surge of magic, I knew that that was a problem for another day.

"Then it would require a powerful sorcerer to use it, right?" I asked in order to quench my own curiosity. Merlin nodded, "It might just be my, but Gwen's father doesn't really strike me as the powerful sorcerer type."

"We need to figure out what the stone was used for." Merlin said as Gwen walked back over to us."What did he say?" Merlin asked.

"Torren came to the forge and offered to pay him a fortune for his help. Not to make weapons, for an experiment or something." Gwen said.

"What kind of experiment?" I asked.

"Torren didn't say." Gwen said. "But he used some kind of stone. Some kind of magic."

"What did he use the stone for?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know." Gwen said shaking her head.

* * *

><p>I was awoken by Aleya banging on my door. She waited a moment before she opened it and stormed in. I laid in bed, unwilling to admit that I was awake. She ignored me and walked over to the window. She threw open the curtains and light poured into the room.<p>

"Rise and shine!" She said, in pure annoyance I tossed a pillow at her.

"Go away." I said.

"Sam, get out of the bed." She said. I refused to move, my head still buried in a pillow.

She began to shake me, and when that did not render a response she grabbed onto the sheet and pulled it. This action sent us both tumbling to the floor. I was immediately thrown fully into consciousness. She looked at me defiantly before losing it and starting to laugh.

"You're mean to me in the mornings." I said as I stood up.

"You threw a pillow at my face." She said as she stood up and began to fold the sheet.

"You were asking for it." I said. I looked over my shoulder and saw her clutching her head. I quickly moved over to her.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"It's happening again." She said.

"What is?" I asked with concerning beginning to rise within me.

"Last night a headache woke me up and then we found out that there was a sorcerer in Camelot." She said.

"Alright, let me jump on this crazy train." I said, "A sorcerer being in Camelot is giving you headaches?"

"He was using a crystal." Aleya said.

"Does that mean he's using the crystal now?" I asked.

"Come on!" She said as she ran out into the hallway.

"But I'm not even dressed yet!" I yelled after her before following her.

I finally caught up with her as she reached Morgana's chambers. She stood at the door for a moment before she looked at me.

"It's coming from in there." She said.

"The sorcerer is in there?" I asked.

"I don't know." She said. She knocked on the door and when there was no answer she opened it and stepped in.

"Aleya!" I said while still in the hallway.

She did not answer so I followed her inside. She walked over to the cupboard and stared at a box that was sitting on top. She pulled a stone out of the box and it began to glow in her hand.

"Holy crap" I mumbled.

"This is it." She said.

"Why does Morgana have it?" I asked.

"That's the question." She said. She placed the glowing stone back into the box and we walked out.

* * *

><p>"It's probably nothing." Samantha said as we entered her chambers.<p>

"Remember the druid boy?" I said.

"Yep" She said as she pulled a dress out of her the wardrobe.

"He spoke to me." I said.

"He didn't speak to anybody." She said.

"Inside of my head, before he and Arthur left." I said.

"What does that have to do with this?" She asked.

"I don't know." I said. "It feels the same."

* * *

><p>A day had passed since Gwen's father had been arrested. He had made an attempt to escape and was killed by the guards. Aleya was off of her rocker since that night. I was sitting in my chambers when I heard the door open.<p>

"May I help you?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you." He said.

"About what?" I asked.

"It's Gwen's father." He said.

"You feel as though you made mistake turning him in to your father, I believe that you did." I said.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Aleya told me, you know that there is no way that her father was a traitor. He got caught at the wrong place, at the wrong time." I said.

"I know." Arthur said. I could sense that he really did feel guilty. Normally it would take wild horses to drag the truth that he was wrong out of his mouth.

"What do you intend to do about it?" I asked.

"It's too late now." He said.

"Take this as a lesson, Arthur. Though your father may be king, he is not always right." I said. Arthur remained silent.

* * *

><p>I walked into the physician's chambers and saw that Merlin was organizing potion bottles. I looked into his room and saw that Gwen was asleep.<p>

"How's she doing?" I asked.

"I don't really know." Merlin said. "He was her father."

"I can't understand why he tried to escape." I said as I sat down at the table and began to busy myself with rolling bandages.

"I think that…..he knew that no matter what he said or did, he would be convicted." Merlin said. I shook my head, this was not justice.

"I have news." I said. Merlin moved the box of unmarked jars over to the table and sat down across from me. "I know where the stone is."

"Do you have it?" He said with concern in his voice. I understood the penalty that would come with being caught in possession of such an artifact.

"Morgana does." I said. "I found it in her room."

"Why were you in her room?" Merlin asked as he tried to take in the information that I had given him.

"I could sense it." I said, "I can't really explain it." For a moment, I could have sworn that I saw fear in his eyes. If there had been fear in his eyes, then he hid it quickly because he began to speak again.

"The question is, why does she have it?" Merlin said.

"Do you think that Morgana is the one who was using it?" I asked.

"Gwen's father would have said something."

"Maybe she just found it." I said.

"Regardless, if Uther found out..." Merlin trailed off. He was right, if Uther found out that Morgana had it then, after what had happened with the Druid boy, he would show her no mercy.

* * *

><p><strong>Neptune19- I fully intend to carry this story through the finale. It's been almost two years since it came on and I am still in denial so I probably will change things up because I cannot allow Samantha and Aleya to be that miserable. (I already have a few ideas for how I'm going write it) ;)<strong>


	20. To Kill a King Part Two

**To Kill a King**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>I was asleep when I felt it again. The throbbing pain that echoed through my skull. I sat up and looked around, noting that it was still dark outside. I slid out of bed and made my way for the door. I looked out into the hallway and saw a cloaked figure walking down the corridor. I quickly pulled on my own cloak and began to follow them.<p>

I grew evermore suspicious as we wove through the streets of the lower town and through the gates. The figure led me deep into the forest. I followed them as closely and quietly as I could. The cloaked figure finally stopped in a clearing and I slid behind a tree to wait.

I watched intently as the figure pulled down their hood and my eyes went wide at the realization of their identity. It was Morgana. I felt someone grab me from behind, I immediately began to struggle until the arms forced me around to reveal Merlin. He lowered his hand from my mouth.

"Morgana?" I whispered.

We both watched as men walked onto the path and surrounded her. The man who was obviously their leader stepped up to her, not looking very pleased.

"Where's your maid?" he muttered.

"I've come in her place." Morgana said.

"Kill her." He said.

"No wait! I've got the stone." Morgana said pulling out the ornate rock and presenting it to him.

"What else have you got, my lady?" he said. "The knights of Camelot?" I felt Merlin begin to move and I grabbed his arm.

"Wait." I whispered.

"I came alone, I promise you." Morgana said.

"Give me the stone." The man said pulling it from her hand. "You were foolish to come here. I had no quarrel with your maid, but you, Lady Morgana, you are Uther's ward." He pulled his sword out and pressed it against her stomach.

"If you kill me, you'll regret it." She said.

"Why is that?"

"Because I want Uther dead to." I felt shock hit me. I had not realized that Morgana felt such strong resentment of Uther.

"You? An enemy of the king?" he said. "And I'm to believe that?"

"Why else would I be here?" Morgana said.

"I can only guess at your motives, my lady." He said. he looked in our direction and in a quick move Merlin and I slid out of view. "You could be a spy for all I know." He finished.

"And this?" Morgana said revealing red gashes on her wrists. "Is it usual for Uther to chain his friends to a dungeon wall? The stone, you took it to the forge. Why?"

"With it a man can alter the very essence of things. He can turn a lump of lead into gold." He said. Alchemy, great.

"Gold?" Morgana said snidely. "A good man died in your quest for riches, Torren. His daughter's now an orphan."

"I'm sorry for that. Truly." He said. "But we did not want the gold to line our pockets. The gold was only a means. A means to rid this kingdom of Uther Pendragon once and for all."

"What are you saying?"

"Bribery is rife at the heart of Camelot. I will use the corruption at the center of his kingdom." He said. "And such abundance of gold will buy me into the king's chambers. Even to the king himself."

"The guards may be fools, Torren, but the king is not."

"Have you got a better plan?"

"To get to Uther, you need someone close to him."

"And you know of such a person?"

"I do." She said. "Me."

* * *

><p>"Why are we here?" I asked as Arthur led me into the gardens. I had not really spent much time in this area of the castle, but it certainly was beautiful. The archways were covered in bright green vines that wove around the stone and the different flowers were all in bloom and came up in a variety of beautiful colors. I would have to come here more often.<p>

"Because, you and I are going have a picnic." He said before producing a small basket from behind one of the columns. I smiled at him.

"What's brought this on?" I asked as I sat down on one of the many stone benches.

"Think of it as a thank you." Arthur said as he pulled out a loaf of bread.

"For what?"

"For always giving me council."

"Council that you never listen to?"

"I admit that I do not always find the right path on the first try."

"You literally never listen to me until it's too late." I said.

"Do you want the picnic or not?" He asked sounding a bit cross.

"You always find the right path in the end." I said before taking a piece of the bread and placing it in my mouth.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand why Morgana would want to kill Uther." Merlin said as we trudged through the thick forest.<p>

"How long have you got?" I said, my voice laced with sarcasm. Uther had given so many people so many reasons to want him dead that I was surprised the man was still breathing.

"I know that he isn't the most admirable man in the world, but surely she has to see some redeemable quality in him." Merlin said.

"I suppose that him killing Gwen's father was the final straw." I said.

* * *

><p>Aleya dragged into my chambers around mid day. Looking tired and well worn. She flopped down on the bed without a word. When she did not speak I realized that I had to break the silence so I moved over to the bed and layed down beside of her.<p>

"You know what I realized?" I asked. She looked over at me. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes.

"What did you realize?" She asked.

"We'll never know who River Song is." I said. I enjoyed the look of shock on her face as the realization hit her. She looked back up at the ceiling.

"I hate you." She said. "That's not something that you just say to a person."

"Never." I said. She did not respond. "What's your deal?"

"What are your thoughts on Uther?" She asked. I had to admit that I was rather shocked by the deep topic line that she put forth.

"Um...I'm sure he has some good qualities." I said.

"Would you kill him?" she asked.

"No." I said. "What would that accomplish?"

"Avenging the death of those he's killed?"

"What would separate me from him if I killed him in cold blood?"

"You're right." She said as she stood up, "As always."

"You're being weird and I don't like it."

"I have to go." She said as she ran out of the room. I sat there in utter confusion.

* * *

><p>After a quick search of his chambers I went to Arthur's chambers and saw Merlin standing by the window. I quietly walked in.<p>

"What are you pondering?" I asked as I stood behind him.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"The benefits of letting Uther die?"

"You and I, we hold the power of life and death over Uther." He said. He turned and looked at me and I could see a bit of darkness in his eyes. "Should we let him die?"

"You think that's the right thing?" I said, "You think that Arthur is ready to be king?"

"All of the suffering, all of the pain. Aleya, it could end here." He said pleadingly. I understood his motivation. Merlin had to live every single day hiding who he really was from Uther. I could understand the resentment that everyone with magic shared for the king.

"What does it make us?" I said.

"What?" He said, exhaustion showing on his face.

"We would be no better than him." I said.

"You're right." He said.

"Then let's go." I said.

I followed him out of the room and to his chambers where he collected the saber that he had taken from the rogue Sidhe. Then we ran, faster than I would have liked, through the woods on our quest to save the king. When we finally made it to the field we saw that all of the guards had been knocked out. Merlin gripped the saber more tightly as we walked. He pulled me behind a tree and held up the saber.

"Acaly." He said as a blue light flashed from the saber and hit a bandit that I had not even seen.

"How did you know how to do that?" I asked as I looked up at Merlin.

"It just felt right." He said as though he was at a loss for words. We continued our pursuit, only this time we were not in the safety of the forest, we were exposed. I looked over and saw Torren running towards Merlin.

"Look out!" I said, but I was too late. Torren tackled Merlin to the ground, causing the saber to go flying through the air. I ran over to the weapon and immediately felt the power that was surging through the saber radiate through me.

"You're much too late." Torren said as he held the stone above Merlin, who was being held down by Torren's foot on his chest.

"Acaly." I said as I held up the saber. To my shock it worked. The blue light flashed from the end of the saber and went straight towards Torren. He turned the stone towards the beam and it reacted like a mirror. The beam flew back and hit me, causing me to fly through the air. I thought I heard Merlin yell my name, but I fell into unconsciousness as I hit the ground.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door and then it flew open to reveal an angry looking Arthur. He walked in and sat down at the table across from me.<p>

"Can I help you?" I said with a smile. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh...I'll tell you what's wrong with me. My servant has been gone for a day, I have no clean clothes, my rooms are in shambles, and I haven't been able to have a bath."

"Just...you know...throwing this out there, but have you ever considered washing your clothes or cleaning your room, or maybe...and I don't want to get too crazy here...but maybe cleaning your room?" I said, he glared at me.

"Have you seen the idiot?" He asked.

"Can't say that I have." I said.

"I don't even know why I have him." he said. I thought for a moment.

"Comic relief?" I asked.

"Something like that." He said with a sigh.

* * *

><p>Light began to flood into my eyes. I felt as though I had been hit by a truck, every part of my body ached. I sat up slowly and looked around the field to see that Merlin had sat up.<p>

"Got you too, did he?" I said.

"That stone has one hell of a rebound on it." He said as he stood up shakily and walked over to me. He held out a hand and pulled me up. "Are you alright?"

"I think I hear that buzzing noise." I said with a laugh as I recalled how disoriented Merlin had been when he had been hit by the Sidhe's blast. "What about you?" I asked as we walked slowly up the hill.

"I think I'll live." He said, "The real question is how you were able to use that thing."

"Luck?" I suggested. We reached a hidden point where we could see Uther and Morgana hugging. "I think we've missed something." I said. Merlin laid down on the ground.

"You know, we were basically useless." He said with a laugh. I laid down next to him and stared up at the blue sky.

"I bet we looked cool, though." I said, "You know, getting beaten up."

"I mean, at least we provided the bandits with a bit of entertainment." He said with a laugh. I placed my hand on his.

"All in a day's work." I said.

"Has the buzzing stopped?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Are you lying?"

"Yep." I said. He laughed as we laid there and stared up at the blue sky. Camelot was safe once more, Uther was still alive and any other problem could wait until another day.


	21. Le Morte d'Arthur Part One

**Le Morte d'Arthur**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>Arthur and Merlin had gone out with the knights on a hunting trip which meant that Aleya and I were left to our own devices. After a quick walk into the forest to retrieve our makeshift swords, we were now going about my room fighting.<p>

It got sort of strange when I stacked up pillows on the floor and made a dramatic scene of pulling my sword out of them as if it were the sword in stone.

"Wonderful, you can now rule England." Aleya muttered before I attacked her with my newly freed sword.

Boredom certainly did cause people to do strange things. It also caused Aleya and I to regress about ten years. After I had killed Aleya...twice...and she had died rather dramatically on the floor we stopped fighting.

"You wanna know what I think?" She said as she slid over to the wall.

"Don't know, do I?" I asked as I sat down in a chair.

"I think that Merlin and Arthur would run in the other direction if they knew just how strange we were." She said.

"It wouldn't be the first time a guy has done that. You remember Jimmy Peters?" I said with a smile.

"Don't remind me about Jimmy Peters." She said as she threw one of the pillows that had made up the stone at me.

"Isn't he the one that you angrily quoted Shakespeare at?" I asked.

"No no no, that was Anthony Williams. He tried to kiss me on the first date." She said through burst of laughter. "Thy kiss is comfortless as frozen water to a starved snake."

"And that is why you're my best friend." I said. Before Aleya could speak again there was a knock on the door. I stood up and went to answer it as she stood and began to adjust her dress. To my surprise it was Merlin.

"Hello, Merlin." I said as I pulled the door open. I turned to Aleya, "Ally, it's your boyfriend."

"I hate you." She whispered as she walked past me and out the door.

* * *

><p>I followed Merlin out into the hallway. He had this, <em>I don't want to worry you, but you should probably be a bit concerned<em>, look on his face. Immediately I realized that there had been complications on their hunting trip.

"What happened?" I asked. He looked down at the ground and then back up to me.

"There is a creature in the woods. Gaius says that it was conjured by magic."He said.

"And, let me guess, it can only be killed by magic?" I said. Merlin nodded anxiously.

"Arthur and I are going to set out on a quest to kill it at dawn." Merlin said.

"Can you kill it?" I asked, not knowing what other option there was.

"I'll have to." Merlin said, not sounding very confident in his abilities. I grabbed his hand and stared up at him, wishing that he could understand just how powerful that he was.

"You'll be able to." I said, in an attempt to reassure him. "If the past is any indication, I know that you'll be able to stop this thing."

He smiled, but I could see right through it. There was doubt in his eyes. Arthur would become king, and Merlin was the person who would make that happen. I knew that no matter what, our destinies would be fulfilled.

* * *

><p>I knocked on the door to Arthur's chambers and, as usual, when there was no answer I just walked in. Arthur was sitting at the table, holding his sword.<p>

"Aleya told me that you are going to set out at dawn?" I said. "Were you planning on telling me?"

"I've been...busy." He said.

"You're going to go out and hunt this thing that could very well kill you and you didn't think that you should maybe tell me?"

"I'm sorry." He said, after a moment's silence. He got a sly smile on his face, "Are you worried about me, Samantha?"

"Of course I am, you prat."

"You're calling me a prat?"

"I think that the word suits you."

"Do you, now?"

"Be careful, Arthur." I said.

"Samantha, I am always careful." He said as he stood up and walked over to me.

"Not careful enough for my liking." I said. He placed his hands on my shoulders.

"I'll be back." Arthur said.

"You better."

"I've got something to return to, now." He said.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"You." He said. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. This conversation, however, had not done much to stifle my worry.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I stood in the courtyard and watched as Merlin and Arthur rode away. There was a solemn tone in the air. I looked over at Samantha and saw her staring longingly in the direction of Arthur. I knew that Merlin would take care of Arthur, I just hoped that he did not kill himself in the process.<p>

It felt so wrong just sitting back in Camelot while Merlin and Arthur risked their lives for our well being. I wanted to help. I knew that my presence would simply hinder them, but it was still painful to sit and wait for one of them to be carried back to the castle.

* * *

><p>Aleya had been quiet all day. I assumed that she was thinking about Merlin. I was playing out various scenarios in which this quest could go awry. I looked out the window and saw red cloaks flowing in the distance, I could barely contain my excitement.<p>

"They're back!" I yelled, barely able to get the words out of my mouth before running out the door.

I ran through the castle and into the courtyard. That was when my heart sank. I realized that the knights were carrying someone. I closed my eyes, praying that they were deceiving me. I opened them and saw that they were carrying Arthur. I was paralyzed in fear and dread. I just stood there and watched as they carried Arthur through the courtyard. I felt Aleya's arm wrap around me and I turned and began to sob into her shoulder.

* * *

><p>Uther emerged from the castle and took Arthur into his arms. He struggled to carry him before collapsing. I wanted to try to comfort Samantha, but I knew that there was nothing to be done. I looked up and saw Merlin walking slowly behind the knights. He looked over at me, I could see the pain in his eyes.<p>

"Merlin won't let him die, Sam." I mumbled, but Samantha continued to cry. Arthur was dying and all of our destinies were out the window.

* * *

><p>I sat by Arthur's side. I had only left once, when Uther had come in. I had never felt pain or fear like this. I was meant to guide him along to his destiny and now he lie dying. I would do anything, give anything that I had to save him.<p>

"You listen here, Arthur Pendragon. If you die here, all of our destinies are out the window. If you're gone then Camelot will never have its greatest king." I said, "If you die...I'll die as well."

* * *

><p>I awoke at dawn. I had not slept much, my night had been spent going back and forth from my room to Arthur's. Samantha was there each time in varying degrees of consciousness. After getting dressed and going to Arthur's chambers to make sure that Samantha and him were alright, I walked to the physician's chambers.<p>

"Gaius." I said as I walked in. The physician was sitting at a table, leafing through a book.

"Aleya." He said as I walked in, "I fear that you may need to speak with Merlin."

"What's wrong?"

"He intends to go to the Isle of the Blessed to save Arthur."

"He can save Arthur?" I asked as I foolishly allowed myself to become hopeful. Gaius' expression dropped.

"To save a life a life must be taken."

"That idiot." I said as I walked back into Merlin's room. I did not bother with knocking. He was busily packing a saddle bag.

"Don't waste your breath." He said.

"Merlin..."

"You're not going to convince me not to go."

"Think rationally."

"I am, there is no other way to save Arthur."

"So, his life is more valuable than yours?"

"To Camelot, yes." he said.

"Do you honestly think that?" I asked, tears welling in my eyes.

"What do you expect me to do?" He asked, more calmly than before.

"What you think is right." I responded, knowing what my words meant. "You just need to know that the world would be a darker place without you."

"But Camelot will have its heir."

"You think that Arthur would want you to do this?"

"Arthur is dying." He said angrily, "If I don't act Albion will never come to be."

"Arthur does need to live." I said, "But I just hope that it doesn't cost the world the loss of you."

"I'm only a servant."

"A servant who has saved Arthur's life more times than Arthur has saved himself. A servant who is so selfless that he would ride into certain death just so he could save an overbearing, patronizing, dollophead!" I said as I began to cry. He wrapped his arms around me.

"I wish that I didn't have to leave you." He mumbled. "But, I need you to promise me something."

"What?" I asked as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Take care of Arthur." He said. "Make sure that he becomes king."

"You speak as though you're already dead."

"You know what I mean." He said. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"I know." I said.

I watched, tears in my eyes as Merlin rode out of the citadel. Gaius stood beside of me and I could tell that the old physician was having trouble holding it together.

"Why do things like this continuously happen?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"I do not know, my child." Gaius said. I looked over to him, fighting back the tears in my eyes. Merlin was gone, and he was not going to come back.


	22. Le Morte d'Arthur Part Two

**Le Morte d'Arthur**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>I was sitting at Arthur's bedside and I honestly felt as though I might fall over from exhaustion. But when he woke up, I wanted to be there for him. I heard someone walk up behind me, but I did not look.<p>

"He'll be fine." Aleya said. I looked back at her and I could tell from her eyes that she had been crying. I looked back down to Arthur.

"I hope that you're right." I said.

"I know I am." She said before I heard her walking out of the room. Arthur looked like death itself and I knew that it was almost over.

* * *

><p>Gaius had given me several tasks to do in the hopes of keeping me busy. It did help to keep my mind from lingering on Merlin. It had been a day since he had left and Arthur had steadily grown worse. Gaius was keeping the facade of a physician well, but I could see through it. I was sorting potion bottles when I heard the door open. I looked over and saw Merlin. I felt the color drain from my face.<p>

"You're back!" I yelled once I regained my composure. I ran over and wrapped my arms around him. "I didn't think that I would see you again."

"I'm fine." Merlin said with a smile. "Where's Gaius?" He said as he grew serious again.

"He's tending to Arthur." I said. "What did you do?"

"This will heal him." Merlin said as he held up a clear vial.

"What about you?" I asked, knowing that there had to be some sort of catch.

"We need to get this to Arthur." he said as he turned and walked out the door. I stood there for a moment, trying to understand what was happening. Merlin had traded his life for Arthur's.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure that there's nothing you can do for him?" I asked as Gaius leaned over Arthur and examined him.<p>

"I'm afraid that all I can do is ease his passing." He said with remorse in his voice. I looked down at Arthur who's fever had worsened. I heard the door open and I looked over and saw Merlin and Aleya. Merlin was holding a vial in his hand.

"Give this to Arthur." He commanded as he handed the liquid to Gaius. The physician gave him a critical eye.

"What is this?" Gaius asked as he examined the ornate container.

"Water from the cup of life." Merlin said.

"Who's life did you offer?" Gaius asked, sounding a bit angry.

"It's fine, Gaius." Merlin said in an attempt to appease Gaius. I looked over to Aleya who obviously knew something. It was not hard to figure out what Merlin had done, and it was as though I was watching Aleya's heart break in slow motion before me.

Gaius poured the water down Arthur's throat. There was no immediate improvement, as I had hoped, but I crossed my fingers that this water would work.

* * *

><p>Merlin and I sat in his chambers, waiting. It went unsaid, but it was obvious that he had offered up his own life. I knew that now for Arthur to live Merlin would have to die. I understood why he had to do it, but knowing his reasoning did not in any way make dealing with his impending death any easier. The door creaked open and Gaius walked in, his eyes filled with dread.<p>

"The prince lives." He said. A smile came across Merlin's face, I tried to smile but I knew that it was fake. I was glad that Arthur was alright, but I could not bear the thought of Merlin dying.

* * *

><p>I must have let myself doze off because I was awoken by the sound of someone saying my name. I looked up and saw Arthur staring at me.<p>

"Samantha?" He said weakly.

"You're alive!" I said, excitement and relief welling up within me.

"Last I checked." He said with a smile. I wrapped my arms around him, careful not to hurt his wound. The future of Camelot was safe once more.

* * *

><p>I sat on the bed beside of Merlin, dreading the waiting that would come next. There was a tense silence between us because neither of us knew what to say.<p>

"I'm sorry." Merlin finally said. I looked at him.

"For what?" I said, "Saving Arthur?"

"Arthur has to live."

"I just wish that there was another way." I said. Merlin grabbed my hand.

"I feel like you should know that you've made Camelot more bearable." He said. I laughed.

"Same goes for you." I said, "Samantha and I would have already driven each other crazy if you weren't here to mediate."

"I don't like mediating."

"What am I supposed to tell your mother?" I asked.

"Tell her that I did what I had to." He said, then a smile ran across his face, "You should tell Arthur, though, that I died confronting a sorcerer in order to save him."

"He would never believe it." I said.

"Make sure that he doesn't think I fell down the stairs or something."

"Maybe you impaled yourself on one of his swords."

"I'm thinking that the cook killed me because I stole one of her pastries."

"I'm actually surprised that you've survived this long with her on your tail."

"It's miraculous."

"I don't want to say goodbye, Merlin." I said after a moment of silence. I laid my head on his shoulder and we waited in silence once more.

* * *

><p>"I thought that the bite was fatal?" Arthur asked as I helped him sit up. I sat in the chair by his side as he questioned me.<p>

"Gaius gave you some sort of tonic that cured you." I said.

"It's a good job that he did."

"A very good job, indeed." I said with a smile.

* * *

><p>I woke up lying on the bed with Merlin's arm around me. The sunlight was creeping through the window. I opened my eyes and looked around. I sat up slowly, carefully moving his arm off of me. I dreaded what I was going to find.<p>

I looked at Merlin. I could see the steady rise and fall of his chest. Relief swelled within me along with confusion. I stood up and looked around the room before placing my hand on his shoulder. As soon as I did his eyes flew open.

"You're alive!" I yelled with excitement.

"I am?" He said as though he did not believe me. He sat up and placed his hands on his chest and then on his head. "I'm alive!" He said as he stood up. He wrapped his arms around me and spun me around.

"I'm confused." I said, "But it's a good confused."

"Gaius!" Merlin yelled as he opened the door. I followed him down into the main room. I was shocked by what I saw.

"Stay back." Gaius said, an instruction which Merlin completely ignored. Gaius was leaned over someone who was lying on the floor.

"Mother?" Merlin said, my stomach dropped.

"What's happened to her?" I asked.

"She's gravely ill." Gaius said.

"Do something!" Merlin yelled.

"I would if I could."

"Please, Gaius."

"What does she have?" I asked.

"This is no ordinary illness." Gaius said.

"This cannot happen." Merlin said.

"Who did you meet at the Isle of the Blessed?"

"Nimueh."

"Nimueh?" Gaius said in disbelief.

"It was as you said. She asked for a price, but I bargained my life not my mother's."

"Merlin, I wish there was something I could do." Gaius said.

"I'll fix this." Merlin said.

* * *

><p>"He did what?" I asked. Partially in disbelief as Aleya explained the events of the previous day.<p>

"Merlin bargained his life for Arthur's, but Nimueh tricked him and is going to take the life of his mother." She repeated again, exhaustion apparent in her voice.

"So, what is he going to do now?" I asked.

"I don't know." Aleya said, "I need to speak to a dragon about a man." She finished as she stood and walked away.

* * *

><p>"Did you know that this would happen?" I asked angrily as I walked into the cavern. The dragon stared at me.<p>

"I knew that the price would be a heavy one." he said.

"What is Merlin going to do? Is he going to confront Nimueh?" I asked.

"The young warlock intends to trade his own life for the life of his mother." the dragon said.

"And I have to protect him."

"You must do what it takes to ensure that Albion lives." the Dragon said.

"Okie dokie." I said as I headed for the stairs.

"Aleya" I heard a voice call from behind me. "What are you doing?" It said as it followed me.

"The only thing that I can do." I said as Samantha walked up beside of me.

"And that is?" She asked.

"I have to beat Merlin to the Isle of the Blessed." I said.

"And offer yourself up?" She said. "Are you suicidal?"

"I have to protect Merlin."

"Do you realize how stupidly dangerous that is?"

"What other choice do I have?" I said as I stopped to stare at her. "If I don't Merlin will die and then in about a day Arthur will and then Albion will never come to pass." I said as I left Samantha alone in the corridor.

* * *

><p>After being left in the hallway I high tailed it to Merlin's chambers. I saw Merlin sitting by a very sick looking Hunith. I walked up behind him.<p>

"Merlin?" I said, he turned and looked up to me. "Can I speak to you?" I said. He stood up and I led the way into the corridor.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sounding drained.

"You're planning on going to the Isle of the Blessed and offer up your life?" I asked.

"How did you know that?" He asked.

"Aleya might have beaten you to it."

"What?" He asked, fear showing in his eyes.

"She was going on about destiny and she left about ten minutes ago."

"No." He said as he took off down the corridor. I followed closely behind him. I would not allow my best friend to be a martyr.

* * *

><p>After a little bit of riding I managed to find the lake. I could see the Isle in the middle. The fog made it look like the setting of a horror movie, but I swallowed my fear. I sat down in the boat and began to look for an oar when the boat began to move.<p>

It did not take very long for the enchanted raft to take me to the center of the isle where there was a abandoned looking castle. I got out of the boat and walked up a set of steps and into the courtyard. I immediately noticed a giant stone altar that took up the center of the courtyard.

"Great." I mumbled to myself.

"What a surprise." A voice called from behind me. I turned and saw who I assumed was Nimueh had appeared behind me. "What can I help you with?"

"Merlin offered up his life, not his mother's." I said.

"I do not choose who lives and who dies." She said.

"Oh, don't get clever with me." I said, confidence that I did not know I had searing through me.

"What have you come to ask of me?" She asked.

"I wish to exchange my life for that of Merlin's mother."

"So very brave, why should I grant your wish?"

"Because, you and I both know that Merlin has to live."

"You are right." She said. She turned to the altar and motioned for me to follow. "Lie down." She said.

I hesitated, but slowly made my way to the altar. I laid down on it and stared up at the cloudy sky, thinking of not too long ago when Merlin and I had stared up at the sky after saving Uther. I went back to that moment.

"Are you sure that this is what you want?" She asked.

"Of course I am." I mumbled before everything went black.

* * *

><p>Merlin and I rode harder than I had ever ridden before. Arthur had always kept us at a brisk walk. I knew, however, that there was absolutely no time to lose. I did not remember most of the getting to the isle, I just remember walking up the steps and seeing Nimueh chanting over Aleya who looked abnormally pale.<p>

"Ally!" I yelled as we walked into the courtyard. Merlin stood between me and Nimueh, looking angry.

"Is she dead?"He asked with fire in his eyes.

"Not as of yet, but you are too late." Nimueh said, "The deal has been struck."

"I bid my life for Arthur's!" Merlin yelled. "Not my mother's and certainly not her's!"

"The old religion does not care who lives and who dies, only that the balance of the world is restored." Nimueh said. "To save a life, a life must be taken. Aleya knew this."

"It is not the old religion that has done this it is you!" I yelled.

"Come now, with my help Arthur will become king." She said.

"No, I will make Arthur king." Merlin said. "and you will never see that day." He finished with some spell that caused fire to fly towards Nimueh. She held up her hand and absorbed it.

"Your tricks are useless against me, I am a priestess of the old religion." She said. she shot a ball of fire at us and I knocked Merlin out of the way. It narrowly missed us. It hit one of the walls and caused pieces of rock to go everywhere. Merlin stood up. Nimueh created another fireball.

"You too are a creature of the old religion. You should join me." She said.

"You think that I would join forces with such a selfish and cruel magic?" Merlin said. "Never."

"So be it." Nimueh said. the ball of fire flew towards Merlin and hit him on the chest. He was flung backwards.

"Merlin!" I yelled sliding over to him.

"Pity, together we could have ruled the world." She said. Merlin forced his way back up. I watched, he had an angry look on his face. More menacing than before.

"You should not have killed her." He said. Nimueh turned and he incanted some spell that cause lightning to come from the sky. It hit Nimueh and when I opened my eyes again she was gone and rain was pouring on us. Merlin ran over to Aleya and I followed close behind him.

"We're too late." He said. I stared at my seemingly dead friend, unwilling to accept that she was gone from us.

"We can't be." I said. I took her hand in mine, I looked at Merlin who had tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Why is it raining?" Aleya said as her eyes opened slowly.

"Aleya!" I yelled. Merlin did not speak, he just bent down and kissed her. I felt awkward for moment before the chill of the rain got to me.

"Merlin?" I said after a long moment.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Could you stop his blasted rain?" I asked.


	23. The Curse of Cornelius Sigan Part One

**The Curse of Cornelius Sigan**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>I was sleeping rather well when I was jerked back into the cold grip of reality. All I could hear was the resounding sound of metal meeting stone below me. Uther had ordered that men work around the clock mining beneath the castle. <em>There are riches beneath our feet<em> he told the council.

Unable to stand the noise anymore I threw my legs over the bed, slid my cloak on, and made my way out into the hallway. I closed the door silently behind me and began to walk. I rounded a corner when I saw Merlin walking in front of me.

"Couldn't sleep either?" I asked as I caught up with him. He smiled at me and shook his head.

"Arthur told me to stop them digging." He said as we continued down the hallway.

"It is annoying." I replied. "I'll come with you."

We walked down the many flights of stairs in silence. Merlin certainly was not much of a talker. Sure, we had had to do epic team ups before in order to save Camelot, but his skill for subtle conversation was most certainly lacking.

Just as we rounded the corner men shoved past us yelling. I looked at Merlin who simply looked confused.

"You should go back." he said as he immediately went into defense mode.

"Are you kidding?" I said as I assessed the scene before me. "I'm not going to miss all of the fun." I said as I continued down the hallway.

I made it to where the men had obviously been working and saw tools that laid abandoned. I looked into the hole that they had made in the wall and was shocked at what I saw. There was not much light, but from what I could see it was a burial crypt. The only light was a blue glow that radiated from a stone in the center of the room.

Merlin grabbed one of the torches and led the way through the hole. It definitely was a tomb that was filled with several different variations of gold. I even saw a golden cat at one point. What shocked me most, however, was the man that sat at the foot of the tomb.

"Are you..." I began but when I placed my hand on his shoulder he fell over. His face was contorted in pain and I could not help the scream that escaped my lips. "What happened to him?" I asked as I looked over at Merlin.

"It's a tomb, it's probably protected against grave robbers. "He said.

"Right..." I said nodding. He looked around cautiously.

"We should probably go." He muttered sounding unsure of himself.

"I think that that is a good idea." I said. I led the way, very slowly and carefully, out of the tomb. "What could have done that to him?"

"Some sort of herb, or maybe even magic." Merlin said as we walked back out of the vault.

"So we could have just found the tomb of an evil sorcerer?" I asked.

"I wouldn't rule it out." Merlin said.

"Lovely." I muttered. Merlin walked me back to my chambers before he went to get Arthur. I had a hard time calming down enough to get to sleep, but eventually I managed to.

* * *

><p>I was awoken by light flowing into the room. I squinted my eyes and sat up to see Samantha standing by the curtain. Samantha walked over to the bed and sat down at the end.<p>

"Why are you even awake?" I asked. She smiled a smile that worried me.

"Things are happening, we have work to do!" She said excitedly.

"Like what?" I asked as I wrapped myself in the blanket.

"So you know how Uther has had men mining beneath the castle?" She asked.

"Sure." I said as I tried to wake myself up.

"They found something."

"What kind of something?"

"Last night I couldn't sleep and Arthur told Merlin to go and stop them mining so I walked down there with him just as all of the miners fled."

"What did they find?"

"A tomb."

"Is there something significant about the discovery of said tomb?"

"Well, Merlin and I went and investigated and there was this miner who had been killed by a booby trap."

"What?"

"There's Indiana Jones crap going on down there." She said. "But that's not the intriguing part."

"What's the intriguing part?"

" There was this stone in the center of the crypt that glowed."

"Glowed?"

"Like not an _I'm shiny_ glow, but a _I am a seriously messed up magical thing_ glow."

"What did Merlin think that it was?"

"He didn't say much, I think that it's time for a trip to the library."

"Really?"

"What?"

"It's just that, that's a sentence I never thought I would hear from you."

"You realize that I am really good with a sword right?"

"Yes, I do." I muttered as I stood up, "I'll get dressed."

* * *

><p>It did not take long for me to get bored. My head was rested on my hand as I watched Aleya intently turn the pages in one of the books that she had taken from the shelf. All of the books were so big, to put it mildly.<p>

"Well, I've got jack and squat." She said as she slammed one of the books shut causing dust to cloud the air.

"So, you're telling me that they just snuck in and buried this guy under Camelot?" I asked. She rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm telling you that I have no clue where to look for this mystery man." She said. "Gaius might know something." She finished with a smile.

"You just want an excuse to go and see Merlin." I said with a sly smile. It seemed as though ever since the events with Nimueh she had been more anxious to be around the warlock. Most likely because she had almost lost him.

"Shut up." She said as she walked out of the library. I followed close behind her, still intrigued by the identity of our mystery man.

* * *

><p>Gaius was tight lipped and refused to let anything slip about the identity of the man who was, apparently, very good at setting traps. Merlin was running himself ragged in the service of Arthur so I had no reason to stay other than to make awkward small talk.<p>

Samantha and I walked into the courtyard where we saw Merlin lacing up Arthur's saddle. Arthur came out and the moment he put his full weight upon the saddle it came loose and Arthur was sent flying to the ground.

After the initial laughter that had come when Arthur fell to the ground the startled horse came barreling towards us. It was captured by a man with long brown hair. He walked over to Arthur as Samantha and I tried to act as naturally as possible while still being within earshot.

"Would you like for me to put it on properly for you, sire?" the man asked.

"Thank you." Arthur said shooting Merlin a glance.

"It's an honor to be of service to the prince." The man responded. There was something about him that made my stomach turn.

"An honor." Arthur said. "Do you hear that Merlin?" Arthur stared at Merlin who still had a dumfounded expression on his face.

"Allow me the honor, of brushing your clothes down." He said.

"The honor." Arthur mouthed at Merlin.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, sire?" the man asked.

"Well, you can give Merlin here a kick up the backside." Arthur said.

"I wouldn't wish to deprive you of the pleasure, sire." He said. I stared in disbelief.

"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies." Samantha said. I looked at her and then back at Merlin and Arthur.

"What's your name?" Arthur asked.

"Cedric. I've come to Camelot in search of work." He said.

"Good. You can be a beater on the hunt. We're short of a man or two." Arthur said walking towards the horse.

"You're too kind, Sire." Cedric said. Merlin knelt down and picked up a stick.

"Here" He said walking towards Cedric. "You'll need a beater." He said slamming it into Cedric's stomach, "Oh, sorry." He walked off.

"Get it, Merlin." Samantha said with a laugh.

"I don't like him." I said.

"The only reason that you don't like him is because he told Merlin off." Samantha said. I glared at her.

"He didn't tell Merlin off." I said in an attempt to defend the warlock, "He simply, was at the right place at the right time."

"Right." Samantha said with disbelief in her voice. She walked back into the castle while I stood and watched as Merlin and Arthur rode away.

* * *

><p>I walked into Arthur's chambers. He had not been back from the hunt long, but I thought that I would stroke his ego a bit by asking him how manly he was.<p>

"Samantha." He said as I sat down across from him at the table.

"How did the hunt go?" I asked.

"Good, Cedric killed boar that would have surely killed me." He said. I smiled at him, trying to do my best to act shocked.

"Cedric?" I asked, "Who is he?"

"Turned up this morning." Arthur said, "Half decent servant is what he is."

"Better than Merlin?" I asked wishing that Arthur knew exactly who he was talking about.

"He's late half the time and spends most of his time in the tavern." Arthur said.

"He does?" I asked, trying to hold back the laughter. Merlin did not seem like the type to drink a lot...or any for that matter.

* * *

><p>I passed Merlin in the hallway. He was walking with his head down which was an immediate sign of his mood. I turned and followed him<p>

"What happened?" I asked. He didn't look at me.

"I saved Arthur's life and someone else got the credit, just the usual." He said.

"Merlin, you know what self pity gets you?"

"Nothing."

"Absolutely nothing." I said with a smile. "You've just got to hold your head high and give it some time."

"I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing, you know?"

"Arthur is going to eat his words one day. When he discovers just how much you've done for him, he's going to look like a real ass."

"He is." Merlin said with a little bit of a laugh.

"As far as Cedric goes, we could kill him?"

"Don't you think that people would get suspicious?"

"Maybe a bit, but we could cover our tracks."

"That is definitely something that we could do." He said with a smile. Whether or not Merlin realized it, he was helping Arthur to become the king that Camelot deserved.


	24. The Curse of Cornelius Sigan Part Two

**The Curse of Cornelius Sigan**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>It turned out that Arthur was completely and totally blind to everything that Merlin did for him. It seemed to me that he was all too keen to replace Merlin. Cedric had proven himself to be a good servant, but I still could not help but question the newcomer's motives.<p>

I knew that not everyone that came to Camelot was an evil person with no other reason to live than to destroy the Pendragon dynasty. Samantha and I walked through the courtyard going through one of our favorite past times, discussing Doctor Who.

"Come on, there is absolutely no way that River is Amy and Rory's daughter." I said nearly as soon as the words escaped Samantha's mouth.

"It makes sense, I mean there were the photographs and then she was the astronaut." Samantha continued in an attempt to justify her ludicrous theory. "Who do you think that she is, then?" Samantha asked sounding rather put out by my doubt.

"Um..." I muttered, but before I could voice my theory I heard the sound of hooves hitting the stones of the courtyard. Samantha and I both turned and saw several horses running straight towards us. There were at least ten of them barreling straight towards us. They would have hit Samantha had I not pulled her out of the middle of their path.

"What do you think happened?" Samantha asked once they had passed. I knew exactly who was to blame for this incident.

"Cedric happened." I muttered before running towards the stables.

* * *

><p>I followed Aleya towards the stables until I saw Arthur running towards us from the lower town. Arthur looked livid, I could only assume that he knew who was responsible for this. I intersected his path and placed my hand up.<p>

"Arthur." I said

"What the hell was that?" He asked as he tried to push past me.

"Just stay calm, please?" I said in a failed attempt to appease his anger.

"Samantha, let me through." He said as he placed his hands on my shoulders and gently moved me out of the way. I watched as he stalked angrily towards the stables. I followed behind him, hoping that if the moment presented itself I could help him to cool down.

"Come on, Merlin." I heard Aleya say from inside the stables as she helped the warlock up. Arthur's face turned a completely different shade of red when he saw that his servant had been asleep when the horses escaped.

"What happened?" He asked angrily.

"I don't really know." Merlin said as he looked around in confusion.

"Is there something missing here?"

"Um..."

"Horses, Merlin. There should be horses."

"Arthur..." I warned.

"How did they get out?" Arthur continued, completely ignoring me.

"I must have fallen asleep."Merlin said.

"Must have."

"Arthur, you have to understand..." Aleya began before she was stopped by Arthur's hand flying up into the air in front of her signaling to her that he did not want to hear it.

"Merlin, I understand." Arthur began more calmly than before.

"You do?" Merlin and I both blurted out at the same time with equal amounts of shock in our voices.

"You're tired."

"I'm not tired!"

"Merlin, I'm going to give you some time off."

"I don't need time off!"

"I think that you do."

"But, Arthur..."

"Merlin, go before I put you in the stocks." With that Merlin walked out of the stables in defeat followed by Aleya. I stood there for a moment staring at Arthur.

"That was a fine display." I said before walking out of the stables. I would leave Arthur to think upon what had just transpired.

* * *

><p>"Why did you fall asleep?" I asked as I followed after Merlin. I knew that becoming relaxed in his duties was not something that he ever did. I was often surprised by how tirelessly he worked.<p>

"According to Arthur I am tired." Merlin said as he sat down on a bench. I took a spot beside of him and began to clean what appeared to be horse droppings off of the side of his face.

"Well, Merlin. That generally is why people fall asleep." I said.

"I'm not tired!" He said defensively as he flinched away from me. I shook my head at him.

"Come on, consider this. Arthur will be running back to you before the end of the day." I said, but my sentiment went unheard as we saw Arthur and Cedric walking through the courtyard.

"You were saying?" Merlin asked as he looked back to me.

"What is his problem?"

"He's a clotpole, I don't think that he can help it."

"He's a royal prat." I said with a laugh. "Listen, everything will be alright. Cedric won't be here forever."

"But he's here now." Merlin said.

"It'll be fine." I said with a smile. I leaned up to kiss him but then I stopped myself. "Clean your face with soap and water and then I'll give you a kiss." I said as I handed him my soiled handkerchief and walked back into the castle

* * *

><p>"Cedric is taking over Merlin's duties." I said as I walked up to Aleya.<p>

"I know, I saw that first hand." Aleya said sounding cross about it, "I don't know what Arthur's thinking."

"Don't you see? The problem is that he's not thinking."

"Good deduction, Watson." Aleya said, "I think that Cedric is nothing but trouble."

"Do you think that Arthur is in danger."

"The man may be up to no good, but I don't get the whole assassin vibe from him." Aleya sad, "Arthur would see that he is bad news if he wasn't such a clotpole."

"A what?"

"Clotpole."

"What does that even mean?"

"I'm not sure, but it's a nice word to describe Arthur."

"In that case, I'm going to go and find my clotpole." I said before walking down the corridor past her. Arthur could be so blind sometimes, but he always reached the right place in the end.

* * *

><p>I walked through one of the many corridors in the castle as I headed back to my chambers. I had finally gotten somewhat used to the gigantic size of the castle. I saw Merlin walking towards Arthur's chambers, looking determined.<p>

"Whatcha' doin?" I asked as I turned and began to walk with him.

"The stone from the tomb has been stolen." He said as though I should know what that meant.

"Is that bad?" I asked. He stopped and looked me in the eyes.

"The stone isn't a stone at all, it's the soul of an ancient sorcerer." He said.

"Why did we just have that laying around?" I asked.

"Because if you touch it you get possessed by the soul."

"Um...Okay." I said as I tried to keep up. "Who stole it?"

"Cedric."

"So, he disturbed the soul and now he's possessed?"

"Presumably." Merlin said.

"And he's with Arthur."

"Yeah..." Merlin said before taking off down the hallway again. I followed after him into Arthur's chambers where Arthur was studying on some papers. Merlin walked over to him.

"Cedric is possessed by an evil spirit." Merlin said, it was then that I realized just how crazy this sounded.

"What?" Arthur said as he looked up at Merlin.

"He tried to steal a jewel from the tomb, but it's not just a stone, it's the soul of a sorcerer named Sigan."

"Have you been on the cider?" Arthur asked, "Do you believe him, Aleya?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." I said reassuringly

"Listen to me, Camelot is in mortal danger." Merlin said as he placed his hands on Arthur's desk. "Sigan is using Cedrics body to enact his revenge."

"This nonsense is not helping you keep your job." Arthur said.

"Arthur, after all we've seen, is it really that far out of the realm of possibility?" I said in an attempt to get through to Arthur who was not buying it.

"Cedric is not possessed." Arthur said as he stood up, "Merlin, I think you should leave."

"You're not listening to me!" Merlin yelled.

"If you're going to shout anyway, Cedric!" Arthur called for the imposter. Cedric walked through the door.

"Yes, sire?" Cedric said with a bow.

"Please, escort Merlin from the palace." Arthur said.

"Is that really necessary?" I asked.

"Stay out of this." Arthur said as he pointed to me.

"Gladly, sire." Cedric said. I looked over at Merlin who was glaring at him. What happened next was quite possibly the most humorous thing that I had ever seen.

Merlin dove at Cedric, taking him to the ground. Neither of the men were really fighters so the fight consisted mainly of them grabbing at each other's faces, Merlin even yanked on Cedric's hair once. I thought at some point I saw Arthur crack a smile, I myself was having to hold back laughter.

Cedric kicked Merlin and then Merlin ran after him only to be slammed into Arthur who fell to the ground.

"Merlin!" Arthur said angrily. I helped Arthur up as Cedric crawled under the bed to escape Merlin who only followed him. As soon as Merlin reached the other side of the bed he was apprehended by Arthur. "You've gone too far this time." Arthur said as he dragged Merlin out of the room by his shirt collar. "You can spend a few days cooling off in the cells."

"Arthur." I pleaded as I followed him towards the door. I looked at Cedric who was smiling widely. I stopped when I noticed that his eyes were pitch black. "What are you?" I asked.

"I do not know what you mean, my lady." He said.

"I think you know precisely what I mean." I said as I heard footsteps behind me. Cedric's eyes went back to normal as Arthur returned.

"Aleya, out." Arthur said as he pointed at the door. I rolled my eyes and walked over to Arthur.

"If I were you, I would watch my back when it comes to your new man crush." I said with a wink as I walked out.

"Threatening a prince is treason, Aleya." Arthur said as I walked out the door.

"It's not a threat, it's a warning." I yelled from the hallway.

* * *

><p>I was fast asleep, which in Camelot was extremely odd. I woke up from my slumber when I heard the warning bells sounding. I reluctantly convinced myself that it was my civic duty to ascertain what was going on so I stood up and walked over to the window.<p>

Outside it was dark, the moon shone brightly over the courtyard and the silence of the night was only broken by the repeated sound of the bells. I looked down and saw that some of the statues had come to life and were now attacking a group of knights who were attempting, in vain, to stop the advance of the creature.

"Alright, living statues." I mumbled to myself, "Wonderful."

I got dressed as quickly as I could and made my way out into the hallway. I saw Aleya running down the hallway. I followed after her.

"What's going on?" I asked. She slowed or a moment and looked over her shoulder at me.

"Sigan is taking his revenge." She said before continuing down the hallway.

I had to admit, fighting some unknown force was definitely not something that I thought I would be doing at whatever unholy hour this was. I decided that I could be of the most use in the council chambers where they would no doubt be taking the injured.

* * *

><p>I ran towards the dungeons and past the guards who were hurrying to aid in the fight to defend the castle. Merlin was pressed against the wall staring out the window. I looked over to the table where the keys had been left.<p>

"Merlin!" I said as I placed the key in the lock. "It's Cedric, you were right. I saw him standing on the balcony chanting and then those things came to life."

"Where's Arthur?" He asked as he pushed the door open.

"Out trying to defend the citadel." I said, "It's a mess out there."

"He'll need my help." Merlin said as he took off.

* * *

><p>I must have missed a lot because when I arrived in the council chambers it was full of people who had been injured. Morgana, Gwen, and Gaius were already busily helping people along with a few other people that I could not identify.<p>

"Samantha, we need some more bandages and water." Gaius said as he tended to a man whose arms had been clawed by one of those creatures.

"On it." I said as I made my way out of the council chambers.

The trip to the well was...to place it mildly insanely dangerous and a bit suicidal, but we needed the water. So, I ran out into the courtyard. Bucket in one hand and dagger in the other, ready to defend myself. It occurred to me that the dagger would not inflict much damage onto the giant, stone creature.

As I travelled through the courtyard I noticed that it was unusually silent. I looked around and saw Arthur was lying on the ground. I quickly discarded the bucket and made my way over to him. I saw one of the creatures returning for another attack. I quickly pulled the unconscious Arthur out of the creature's path. When I did so Arthur began to wake up.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he stood up. "These things could kill you!" I looked behind him and saw the same creature had made a circle and was now coming in for another attack.

"Still might." I said as I tackled Arthur out of the way of the creature. I felt him flinch and realized that he was wounded. "Sorry." I muttered as I stood up. He stood up as well and led me back to the castle.

* * *

><p>Merlin led the way up to the council chambers where Gaius was busy with his duties as court physician. The creatures had really done a number on the people of Camelot. Once Gaius had finished with his patient he walked over to Merlin and I.<p>

"What are you two doing here?" Gaius asked as he approached us.

"I have to help Arthur." Merlin said.

"Merlin, Sigan's power is far beyond that of yours." Gaius said.

"I don't have a choice." Merlin said.

"Sigan is immortal and you are not, if you face him he will destroy you." Gaius said.

"There has to be some way to stop him." I said, I really did not like the negativity that I was hearing from Gaius.

"There is only one alive who is old enough to give us the answers we need." Gaius said.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"The Great Dragon." Gaius said. Merlin looked down at me and then over to Gaius.

"You know then, that I used to visit him?" Merlin said.

"Of course I do, Merlin. You are a creature of magic just as he did. I had hoped that he could help you."

"He thinks of no one but himself."

"You've got to swallow your pride, Merlin." I said as I looked at the warlock.

"Fine." Merlin said as he ran out of the council chambers. At the other end I saw Samantha running in with a wounded Arthur.

* * *

><p>I led Arthur into the castle and as soon as we made it to one of the benches Aleya ran over nervously and began to examine his wound.<p>

"I'll get some bandages." She said before running off.

"Samantha, I just want to say...you always surprise me." Arthur said.

"I certainly endeavor to." I said with a smile as Aleya returned and set to work on Arthur's shoulder. Once she had finished with the bandage Arthur stood up. "Where do you think that you're going?" I asked as he walked off.

"There are people trapped in the lower town, I have to help them." He said.

"It's suicide, you're already wounded." I said.

"It's my duty, Samantha." Arthur said. I rolled my eyes and picked up a sword from one of the tables.

"Let's go." I said.

"What?" He asked sounding surprised.

"You have your duty to Camelot, well so do I." I said as I led the way out. Arthur paused for a moment before he followed me.

* * *

><p>I could hear the creatures attacking. I could also hear the screams of the people who were defenseless against their attackers. There was dust falling from the ceiling and I was concerned as to whether the roof would fall in on us.<p>

"Gaius, can you manage without me?" I asked as I walked over to the old physician.

"We'll manage." Gaius said, "Go and find Merlin."

I nodded and made my way towards the courtyard. Merlin had a tendency to want to face things alone and Gaius and I both knew just how dangerous that desire could be to his health.

* * *

><p>The fight was going terribly, to put it mildly. There was not much that I could do other than to help people get to safety. I was helping a woman to the safety of one of the tunnels when I heard Arthur yelling for me. I turned but I was too late, I only saw the creature's claw bearing down on me. I shoved the woman out of the way, but I could not get myself out of the way in time. I felt the claws tear into my skin as the impact sent me flying through the air. I did not feel myself hit the ground, I only felt the darkness that clouded my vision.<p>

* * *

><p>I ran into the courtyard and saw that fog was rolling in causing the entire place to have an eerie vibe. I looked into the fog and saw that there was a figure standing in the fog. My heart sank, the possibility came into my mind that Merlin could have failed and Sigan could have taken control of him.<p>

"Merlin?" I said cautiously as I took a step forward.

The figure mirrored my actions to reveal that it was in fact Merlin. I was beginning to get frightened now. There was a moment of silence before he held up a glowing blue crystal with a smile on his face.

"He's gone." Merlin said as he placed the crystal back into his pocket. I smiled and ran over to him.

"You scared me." I said as he hugged me.

"I like to keep you on your toes." He said. I slapped him on the arm with a laugh.

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice yelled from behind us. "Get Gaius!" He yelled.

I turned to see that Arthur was carrying an unconscious Samantha. There was blood staining the front of her dress. As I looked her over I went numb. I ran over to Arthur and followed him into the council chambers where Gaius met us and began to tend to Samantha's wounds.

"Gaius?" I said, wanting to know something.

"Merlin." Gaius said, "I need space to work."

Merlin gently grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of the room, we were followed by Arthur out into the hallway. I sat down on the floor, unable to full process what had just taken place.

"She'll be okay." Arthur said as he paced back and forth. Merlin nodded and walked back into the room to help Gaius.

"She has to be okay." I said. Arthur sat down next to me and placed his arm around me. I could not help the tears that fell down my face. I could not bear the thought of losing Samantha, she had always been there for me, for as long as I could remember. Now I was here completely and utterly useless and unable to do anything to help her.

"Hey..." Arthur said as he rubbed my shoulder with his hand. I rubbed the tears off of my face. "She'll be okay." He said. I nodded.

"How did it happen?" I asked.

"She was being stubborn, as usual." Arthur said, "She was helping people get to safety."

"I should have been there." I said.

"It happened so fast that there was nothing to be done." He said. I looked up at the door eagerly as it opened. Merlin stuck his head out and I could tell by how tired he looked that he had used magic. Her wounds had been severe enough to require Merlin's healing.

"She's fine." Merlin said sounding relieved.

* * *

><p>I woke up in my bed. I felt something lying on my feet and saw that Aleya was lying at the end of the bed sleeping. I sat up and felt a bit of pain in my stomach, that was when I remembered what had happened. I kicked Aleya and she sat up quickly.<p>

"You're awake." She said sounding relieved.

"That's what happens when you get enough sleep." I said with a smile.

"You almost died." She said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Merlin had to heal you."

"Well, he didn't do a very good job. My stomach still hurts where that thing clawed me."

"You gave Arthur a fright, he almost cried."

"He did?" I said in shock.

"Arthur is a man of many layers." She said with a smile.

"Sigan is gone?"

"He's gone, you're alright, and Camelot is safe once more." She said with a satisfied smile. "All in a day's work."

"Just another day." I said as I flopped back down on the bed.

"You should rest a bit." She said as she stood up. I laughed and then did as she said and tried to sleep a bit.

* * *

><p>A day had passed since Sigan's attack and Samantha had almost completely recovered thanks to Merlin. He and I were sitting in his chambers and talking when Arthur walked in. He had a rather worrying looking gash going across his forehead and he held his shoulder strangely, but other than that he looked fine.<p>

"I came to see Merlin." He said. Merlin looked a bit confused. "I've not forgotten about your lazy, insolent ways. Or about the fact that you called me a clotpole. But I do have to admit that there was some truth in your accusations against Cedric." Merlin and I both perked up at the fact the Arthur was admitting that he was wrong.

"Does this mean that you are admitting, that in this occasion, I was actually right?" Merlin asked.

"Not exactly, no." Arthur said.

"That's what I heard, was that what you heard Merlin?" I said.

"That's what I heard as well." Merlin said we both looked at Arthur.

"No, it means that I have a knighthood to bestow first thing tomorrow morning and no one to clean my armor." Arthur said producing a brown sack and dumping the contents on the table.

"All that?" Merlin said.

"Yep." Arthur said throwing the sack at Merlin. As soon as Arthur was out of earshot I looked at Merlin who was looking at me.

"He just almost apologized to you." I said.

"I know." He said.

"I was waiting for him to, burst into flames or something." I said.

"Clotpole." Merlin said.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Prince Arthur." He said. I laughed. Arthur was facing a lot of character growth and I knew for a fact that Merlin was making a difference in his life.


	25. Nightmares Part One

**Nightmares**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>I woke up in a field. I sat up and looked around. Merlin was standing across from me. I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I saw that Merlin was holding his side. I stood up and tried to take in my surroundings.<p>

"Merlin?" I finally managed to choke out. He did not look at me. I noticed that his eyes were unfocused. "Are you alright?" I asked as concern began to well within me. I took a step closer to him and his hand fell off of his side to reveal a blood stain.

"Merlin!" I yelled as he fell to the ground. I ran over to him and knelt down beside of him. I placed my hands over his wound to try to stop the bleeding. He was not breathing.

I looked around the field with tears running down my face when I saw someone. It was a man, he was standing in front of me with a bloody knife in his hand. I stood up, my own hands covered in blood now as well.

"You did this?" I asked.

"Of course I did." He said.

"Who are you?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Why?"

"Why not?" He said with an evil smile. I could not speak. I was overcome by pure anger. I ran towards him, knowing that it was a stupid move as I made it. I was met by a blade to the stomach.

* * *

><p>I was awoken by screams echoing from down the hall. I knew exactly what was happening. I quickly ran towards Aleya's chambers. I opened the door and saw Aleya thrashing back and forth in the bed. I ran over to her and grabbed her shoulders.<p>

"Ally...wake up." I said. Her eyes flew open and for a moment I thought that they were glowing gold. "It's alright, you're safe." I mumbled as I hugged her.

When we were younger, before we had come to Camelot, she used to be plagued by nightmares. We had shared a room and it was up to me to comfort her in the middle of the night after her dreams.

I stayed there with her for a long while until she finally calmed down enough for me to leave. I waited until she had fallen back asleep before I left to attempt to salvage my night's rest.

* * *

><p>Two days had passed since I had the nightmare. I could not sleep no matter how much I tried. I desperately needed sleep, however. I sat in my chambers thinking on what I had seen. I was afraid. I knew that it was impossible for that to come true, but I still was shaken. I had seen Merlin die and I was defenseless to stop it. I hated feeling helpless.<p>

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard a knock on the door. I stood and walked over and opened the door to see that Arthur was standing there.

"May I help you?" I asked, not really in the mood to speak with anyone.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he stared at me. Apparently I was not doing a good job of concealing the fact that I had not slept in two nights.

"I'm fine." I said. I threw in a smile in an attempt to reassure him.

"I was wondering if you had seen Samantha." He said.

"Not this morning." I said.

"Are you sure that you're alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine." I lied. I was lying through my teeth, but Arthur did not need to know that.

"You see, my suspicions originate from the fact that normally you would have had some sort of response to my inquiry that made me question as to whether or not you know who I was." He said.

"You see, I understand exactly who you are, I just don't understand why that makes you think that your title makes you better than anyone else." I said in an attempt to act normal.

"Well, if you see her let me know." He said suspisciously.

I shut the door and walked over to the window. I saw Merlin walking through the courtyard. I was relieved to see that he was alright, but I still had a feeling that something was wrong.

* * *

><p>"Have you seen Aleya?" Merlin asked as he ran up behind me.<p>

"Not today." I said as I walked. "Why?"

"I haven't seen her in a couple of days." Merlin said sounding a bit concerned.

"I'll try to find her." I said as I walked off.

She had been phased by the nightmare and she did not like to show off her suffering. I pushed open the door to her chambers and saw that she was not there. This worried me tremendously. I stepped out fo the room and walked into the hallway.

* * *

><p>I walked down the steps and saw the dragon sitting on the huge rock in the center of the cavern. I held the torch firmly in my hand.<p>

"Hello." I muttered as he looked at me.

"What can I do for you, Aleya?" He asked.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"What is it?"

"I had a dream, a nightmare really. I saw Merlin dying." I said, "I was wondering if that meant anything to you?"

"The young warlock faces many threats. Many of them are yet to be found. In time he will face death at the blade of an enemy." The dragon said. My stomach dropped.

"When?"

"Do not fear, Merlin still has many years to complete his destiny."

"Thanks, I think." I said as I walked out of the cavern.

As I walked into the hallway I saw Merlin. I continued walking and kept my head down. He stepped in front of me, a smile on his face.

"Want to go for a walk?" He asked. I was not sure whether or not he recalled the last two times that we had attempted to go for a walk.

"What about last time?" I asked, "Or the time before that?"

"Third time's the charm." He said confidently.

"Alright." I said with a laugh.

It had not taken us very long to get out of the city and into the forest. We followed the path. The trees were beginning to turn bright shades of orange and yellow due to the impending fall. Everything seemed peaceful as we walked in silence.

The first time we had gone for a walk we had met Lancelot and the griffin that had almost killed us. The second time we met Sophia who turned out to be a Sidhe who wanted to kill Arthur. Perhaps Merlin was right, the third time was the charm.

"Are you going to tell me what's been bothering you?" Merlin asked as we walked. The question had come out of the blue, but I should have known that he would have realized that something was wrong.

"It's nothing." I said, hoping that he would leave it at that.

"You know that you can tell me, right?" Merlin said. I nodded.

"It was just a nightmare, nothing to worry about." I said.

I could tell by the way he looked at me that he wanted to press the matter more, but our conversation was cut short by a bolt hitting a tree right in front of us. Merlin and I both dove into the bushes to avoid being hit by any of the projectiles.

I saw men running out of the bushes towards us. Merlin began to incant spells, but I could see that it was useless. There were too many of them to be stopped. Merlin grabbed my hand and we ran off through the forest.

As the forest opened into a large pasture I could see the castle sitting in the distance. I hoped we would make it, but negativity was rife within my mind. I heard something wizzing through the air and then a loud thump to accompany it.

I turned and saw that Merlin was lying on the ground a few feet behind me. There was a bolt sticking out of his back. I quickly ran back to him and carefully rolled him over, minding the bolt that was sticking from his back.

"You need to go." He said with pain in his voice.

"I'm not leaving you." I said as I tried to think of a solution to this problem. I knew that there was no way that I could carry him, but the bandits were getting closer. I realized that there was nothing that I could do to escape so I grabbed Merlin's hand and waited as our fates got closer.

* * *

><p>Arthur had convinced me to go for a walk despite my complaints that I could not find Aleya. He assured me that he was fine when he had seen her earlier. I finally gave in to his nagging and we walked through the woods.<p>

"I still don't get it." I said as we walked.

"It's a test of bravery." Arthur said in reference to the jousting tournament that was coming up.

"Is it dangerous?" I asked.

"Not really, our armour protects us from most of the impact." Arthur said. I opened my mouth to speak when I heard yells echoing through the forest.

"What's that?" I asked as I looked around, trying to find the source of the yelling. Arthur drew his sword.

"Wait here." He said. He ran stealthily through the woods before I could complain. I took a step forward only to feel a hand come over my mouth. I bit the hand and when it pulled away I ran for my life.

* * *

><p>The bandits were almost close enough strike when I saw Arthur running up behind me. He motioned for the woods before grabbing Merlin and slinging him over his shoulder. We made it to the woodline when I felt something wrap around my legs. I fell to the ground and struck my head on a rock.<p>

* * *

><p>I stopped when I felt as though I was far enough away from my attackers. I cursed myself for not bringing a weapon with me. I was alone in the woods, hopelessly lost and defenseless. I blinked for a moment and when I opened my eyes there were men emerging from the trees. They surrounded me.<p>

"What do you want from me?" I asked. One of them walked forward with a smile on his face.

"You'll be worth a lot on the market, dearie." He said. I glared him before I felt something hit me on the back of the head. I fell into the darkness knowing that I may never return from it.


	26. Nightmares Part Two

**Nightmares**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>I woke up in a dungeon. Great, I absolutely loved dungeons. Who did not? I sat up stiffly and looked around the tiny, damp cell. The floor had a thin layer of hay on it and the walls dripped water. I looked over into the corner and saw that Aleya was lying there.<p>

I moved over to her and rolled her onto her back to see a huge cut on her forehead. I quickly tore off a piece of cloth from the bottom of my dress. I began applying pressure on the wound to try to stop the bleeding.

"Samantha." Arthur called from the other cell. I quickly moved over the small grate that was fixed in the floor of the cell. I saw that Arthur was peaking through it.

"What happened?" I asked as I stared at him. I noticed that Merlin was lying curled up in the corner with a makeshift bandage tied around his shoulder, which still had a bolt sticking from it.

"We were attacked by bandits." He said, "Are you alright?"

"I'm peachy." I said. "How bad is it?"

"He'll live, if we can get out of here."

"We need a plan."

"I'm open to suggestions." Arthur said, but I had none to offer.

* * *

><p>I woke up in a dungeon. I sat up quickly and a bloodied cloth fell from my head. I placed my hand on my forehead and it came back bloody.<p>

"What are you doing here?" I said when I noticed that Samantha was leaning against the wall of the cell.

"Oh, you know. Baking a cake." She said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"Where's Merlin and Arthur?" I asked as I remembered what had happened.

"I'm here and Merlin's over there." Arthur said from the other cell.

"You'll need to do something about his wound." I said as I moved over to the wall. "Did the arrow go all the way through?"

"No." Arthur said.

"Damn." I said.

"What does that mean?" Samantha asked.

"It means that you're going to have to push it through." I said.

"I'm going to have to do what?" Arthur asked in shock.

"If we leave it in there he's going to develop an infection and if you just pull it out you'll cause more damage." I said.

"Alright, what do I need to do?" Arthur asked as he moved over to Merlin.

"You need to break off the end of the arrow with the knock on it." I said remember the lessons that Gaius had taught me when we were dealing with the injuries that had occured during Sigan's attacks. It was the surprising fact that half of the injuries had come from the creatures, but the other half had come from the panic.

* * *

><p>"Got it." Arthur said after we heard the snap of the arrow.<p>

"Now you need to push the arrow the rest of the way through until the field head has pierced the skin. Then you can just pull it out." Aleya said looking as bad as I felt.

"How do you know how to do that?" I asked.

"I've learnt from experience." She muttered.

"It's out." Arthur said.

"Now you just have to control the bleeding." Aleya said sounding relieved. After only a moment we could hear foot falls coming from the end of the hallway.

"Be calm." I said as I felt Aleya tense up. A gruff looking man came to the bars and stared at us as a predator would stare at its prey.

"Which one o' you is Arthur's servant?" He asked in a barely understandable accent. Aleya and I both looked at each other. "Alright, I'll ask one more time 'fore I kill both 'a you." He said again.

"Don't you dare." I said as I glared at Aleya.

"It's me." She said as she stood up.

The man smiled to reveal yellow teeth. He motioned for the guards to open the door and he stepped inside the cell. He was a couple of inches shorter than Aleya, but he was a hefty man. He grabbed Aleya's arm and pulled her out of the cell.

"I'll be fine." Aleya said with a smile as the cell door slammed behind her.

"Why the hell would she do that?" Arthur asked.

"Because she's an idiot." I said.

"We have to hurry." Arthur said as Merlin began to groan and sat up.

"What happened?" He said sounding droggy. Arthur and I looked at each other, neither of us wanting to tell him.

* * *

><p>I tried to hold myself confidently, but I was frightened. I assumed that the man would want information about Camelot. A subject which, thankfully, I knew little about. I was taken into a large throne room, my captor still holding my arm tightly.<p>

There was a man, his back facing me, standing at the other end of the room. When he turned I immediately recognized him as the man from my dream. I felt more fear than before. It was one thing for them to endanger me, but another thing entirely for them to endanger Merlin.

"Sire, this is Prince Arthur's servant." The man holding me said. The man walked over to me and looked me over.

"You've done well." The man said as he stared at me.

"You did promise a reward?" The man holding me said shakily.

"Indeed I did, guards." The man said. Two guards came up behind the man who still had a firm grip on my arm. One of them thrust a sword into his back, I gasped as the man fell to the floor. "Do not fear, my dear." The man said.

"I do not fear you." I snapped with fire in my voice. This man was brutal, I knew that he would be, but he had just killed a man in cold blood.

"Leave us." The man said to the guards. They obeyed and exited the room leaving us alone. "You do not look like a servant." He said as he looked at me again.

"You do look like a bandit." I said. He laughed and then turned and walked over to stare out the window. I placed my hands behind my back and felt the dagger that I always kept in my corsette.

"You've got fire in you, girl." He said as he turned to look at me again.

"Why have you brought us here?" I said.

"I seek information." He said.

"I will not betray my master." I said in an attempt to seal in the idea that I was in fact Arthur's servant.

"I do not seek information about him." He said,

"What do you want to know?"

"Where is Emrys?" He said. My heart sank.

"I do not know anyone by that name." I muttered, hoping that my fear would not show. Little did he know that he had the warlock within his grasp.

"Do not lie to me." He said as he grabbed me and pushed me into the wall.

"Why would I tell you anything?" I asked, knowing that I needed to wait for my moment. He reared his hand back and slapped me, his ring breaking the skin on my cheek.

"He is within Camelot, I know that much." He said. "You better tell me, girl."

"I'll tell you nothing." I said as I thrust the dagger into his stomach. He crumpled to the floor and I ran out of the throne room.

* * *

><p>It was silent, painful so. It left each of us with time to think. Arthur had yet to be able to devise a plan of escape. There were no guards outside so there was no hope of one of us playing dead to get them to open the door.<p>

"That's it." I said as I stood up. I pulled the pin that was holding my hair up out and walked over to the cell door.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"I'm going to pick the lock." I said. I had never picked a lock, but how hard could it be?

* * *

><p>I was walking down the corridor knowing that I had to find my way back to the cells. I held my dagger in my hand, ready to defend myself. I heard a voice calling me in my head, just as the druid boy had. Before I could find the source of the voicec I felt myself flying through the air.<p>

I hit the wall hard and then slid down onto the ground. Once I regained my bearings I could see the man who I had stabbed looking down at me. I could do nothing as he approached me. Before he could touch me there was a look of pain on his face and I saw the tip of a sword coming through his chest. He fell to the ground to reveal a man who wore a red cloak.

"We haven't much time." He said as he helped me up. I would have thanked him but I began to see spots on my vision. There was a throbbing pain going throughout me before I finally fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>Merlin had only gotten worse. I had been working under the assumption that his magic keeping him alive, I knew that he could not last forever. I was struggling to get the door open. Apparently picking locks was a lot harder than it looked.<p>

I heard someone coming so I hid the pin and sat back down in the corner so I would not draw suspicion. When the man came into view I saw that he was carrying an unconscious Aleya. He sat her down and walked up to Arthur's cell.

"Are you Prince Arthur?"

"Yes I am." Arthur said.

"Then you may want to ignore this." He said as he held out his hand and muttered something. The door popped open and then he moved over to my cell and did the same. I ran out of my cell and went over to Aleya. She had a new gash on her face that matched the shape of a ring.

"I'll kill him." I muttered.

"He is already dead." The man said as he picked her up. "We must hurry, my camp is not far from here."

"Why did you help us?" Arthur asked as he flung Merlin over his shoulder.

"Because I have taken a vow to help those in need." The man said.

I followed behind them and through the woods. It was strange how in Camelot every mundane task that we attempted always escalated. The man led us to his camp where people immediately swarmed Merlin and Aleya as they tended to their wounds.

Arthur and I sat in front of the fire, thuroughly exhausted. I knew that Arthur would be working through the thoughts of trusting a sorcerer.

"Who is that man?" I asked.

"A druid." Arthur said.

"Arthur, this has to prove to you that all magic is not evil." I said.

"I have been told all of my life that magic is purely evil." Arthur began, "I am not sure anymore."

"What if it's not the magic, it's the user?" I asked.

"I don't know, Samantha." He said.

* * *

><p>I woke up in a tent. Unsure of my surroundings I sat up quickly and every bone in my body protested. I looked around the small structure and saw Merlin lying on the other side.<p>

"Merlin." I said as I heard someone coming into the tent. It was the man who had saved me. "I suppose I should thank you." I said as he sat down beside of me.

"That was very powerful magic." He said. "It was intended to kill."

"I guess I just got lucky." I said, "What is your name?"

"It's Aglain." He said.

"I'm Aleya and that's..."

"Emrys." He interrupted.

"Yes, but he prefers Merlin." I said with a smile.

"I do not think that luck played a role in your survival." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever thought that you may have magic?"

"I can assure you that I don't."

"Emrys knows the truth about you." He said. I looked down at Merlin in confusion and then up at him.

"What truth?" I asked.

"In time you will see." He said as he stood and walked out of the tent leaving me to think on what he had said. What if I did have magic?


	27. The Once and Future Queen

**The Once and Future Queen**

* * *

><p>Aleya and I were watching as Arthur practiced for the upcoming tournament. I had to admit that despite Arthur's attempts to explain how there was almost no danger, I was still worried about the tournament. Two men riding towards each other with lances did not exactly scream 'safe' to me. Every time one of the men was unhorsed I jumped. Arthur had won every time so far which was comforting. It meant that he had not even been hit by one of his opponents.<p>

He was meant to joust Sir Leon next. I watched as he and Leon readied their horses and held their lances up. They began to ride at each other and even I could see the sun glaring off of the armor into Arthur's eyes. Arthur pulled out and Leon would have won if Leon would not have pulled out as well.

"Well, that was a stroke of luck." I said.

"Arthur looks mad." Aleya said as Arthur jumped off of his horse and was letting Leon have it. Arthur was yelling about how he wanted to be treated like everyone else.

"Should I go talk to him?" I asked.

"Not in front of the knights." She said. After a moment Arthur stalked off and I stood and followed him.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I stood outside of Arthur's chambers. I could hear the sound of armor clattering to the ground. Arthur's voice echoed through the hall and it had a hostile tone to it. When the door opened I looked and saw Merlin walking out carrying Arthur's armor.<p>

"Here we go." Samantha said as she slipped into Arthur's chambers.

"Good luck." I said as I followed Merlin down the hallway and into the armory. Merlin flung the armor down onto one of the tables. "What's wrong with Arthur?" I asked.

"He's trying to get think of a way to get out of being a prince." Merlin said as he took the breastplate and began to polish. I took one of the gauntlets and began scrubbing it.

"I hope that he doesn't think too hard, he might hurt himself." I said and Merlin laughed.

"I told him that anytime he wanted to trade places it was fine by me." Merlin said.

"What has inspired this anger?"

"He thinks that the knights take it easy on him when they're fighting."

"Does he know what Uther would do to them if something happened?"

"I don't really think that he cares."

* * *

><p>As I walked into Arthur's chambers I saw him standing by the window, obviously deep in thought.<p>

"Contemplating life?" I asked. He turned and looked at me and then back at the window. He shook his head.

"I just want to be treated fairly." He said.

"You mean what happened with Leon?" I asked, "I'm sure that if you were actually fighting he would had knocked you off of that horse."

"How am I supposed to prove myself if I am not being treated fairly?" He asked as he looked over at me.

"Since when is riding at each other with a lance proving yourself?" I asked.

"I just want to know that I truly deserve the title that I have been given." Arthur said.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"I am going to become someone else." He said with excitement in his eyes. He blew past me and out the door and I assumed that he had figured something out. A fact that worried me tremendously.

* * *

><p>I sat in the armory with Merlin as he beat the dents out of Arthur's armor and I took the mended pieces and polished them. I had had to hide behind the sword rack once when one of the knights came in, but other than that we had been undisturbed.<p>

"Merlin." Arthur said as he walked in. "I need your help."

"With what?" Merlin said with a distinct tone of dread in his voice.

"Come with me." Arthur said as he walked out.

"Duty calls." Merlin said as he shrugged his shoulders and followed Arthur into the hallway.

* * *

><p>Arthur had announced that he was going on a hunting trip, which I did not believe for a second. He said that he was going after a beast that had the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the head of a bear. It was clear that Arthur was very bad at making up lies.<p>

They rode out at dawn and not twenty minutes later we were called into court. A man came to Uther and spoke with greed in his eyes. He said that Odin had sent an assassin to Camelot to kill Arthur.

"Do you know where Arthur went?" Aleya asked as we walked out into the corridor.

"To hunt the lion, bear, eagle thing?" I said with disbelief in my voice.

"I mean really." Aleya said. We were now out of ear shot of the other council members.

"I don't know, but he certainly isn't hunting that...whatever the hell that is." I said. Merlin walked up behind Aleya.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to borrow your friend, Samantha." He said with a cheeky grin on his face.

"You can have her for now, but I want her back." I said with a smile. Aleya rolled her eyes at me as she followed Merlin down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Merlin had dragged me to Gwen's house with little explanation as to the reason behind our trip. When we walked in I saw Arthur was standing there looking over another man.<p>

"What's going on?" I asked.

"He's going to take Arthur's place in the tournament." Merlin said. I looked at him and then at the man.

"Looks promising." I said sarcastically.

"Does he?" Arthur asked looking at me in confusion.

"Look, you give him a bath and get him some armor and he'll look the part." Merlin said. Gwen stared at him with a critical eye.

"I don't know." She said.

"Listen, if you squint and turn your head sideways he already looks the part." I said with a reassuring smile.

After giving him a good scrub and putting some armor on him he looked better than I had anticipated. Merlin held out a forged seal and proudly said.

"From now on, you're Sir William of Dayra." He said. I looked at Arthur who was looking very worried.

"I think he looks lovely, don't you Arthur?" I said.

"Not exactly the word I would have used." He said. After a moment Merlin started give him pointers on how to be a knight.

"Imagine you're really arrogant." I added.

"Yeah, knights like to think that they are so much better than everybody else." Merlin said, I nodded and Arthur just looked angry.

"It's not arrogance." Arthur said he waved his hand dismissively. "Ignore them, they're idiots."

"Not arrogant at all." I mumbled.

"A knight must behave with honor and nobility." Arthur said. William held his chin up, "That's better!" Arthur said happily. "You must convince everyone that you were born into a noble family."

William looked around the room nodding. He then stared down at Merlin who was still staring at Arthur in disbelief.

"Polish my armor, boy." He said. Arthur smiled and began nodding.

"Now you're getting the hang of it." Arthur said, he looked over at Merlin, "That's a good point, you do need to polish our armor."

"Yeah." William added. Gwen and I looked at each other, still trying to hold back laughter. This was definitely a fool proof plan.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the big jousting match, Aleya had told me about Arthur's remaining in Camelot and his hair brained scheme to become someone else. I sat down in the stands next to her. Jousting seemed like it would be a very exciting sport, but you can only watch men get hit by lances so many times before it gets old.<p>

"You should go talk to Arthur." She said as we watched Leon joust.

"Why would I do that?" I asked.

"You know, wish him luck." She said, "It'll be romantic, go."

I rolled my eyes and walked out of the stands. I entered Arthur's tent and saw Arthur fiddling with one of his gauntlets.

"I thought that you were hunting a lion, an eagle, and a bear?" I said as I walked in. He looked up at me.

"Samantha." He said.

"Don't Samantha me." I said, "I take it that this is what you meant by changing who you are?"

"I am just another knight; after the tournament is over I will reveal myself for who I really am." I laughed.

"I'm sure you will." I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked sounding offended.

"It's supposed to mean that you don't have anything to prove." I said as Merlin walked in. I turned and looked at him, "Go away Merlin." I said, he turned on his heels and walked out. "You just want to do this so that you can get the glory."

"That's not true." Arthur said.

"Isn't it? Because that's sure what it looks like." I said while shaking my head. I turned and walked out of the tent knowing that I was terrible at giving pep talks.

* * *

><p>Samantha came back and sat down next to me, seeming rather angry. We sat in silence for a moment before I finally decided that I needed to open the can of worms and ask her.<p>

"What's wrong?" I said.

"Arthur's a conceded prat." She said.

"What has he done this time?" I asked.

"The only reason he's doing this stupid tournament as Sir William is so that he can get the credit." She said.

"Arthur will figure it out, he always does."

"I thought that he was changing."

"Listen to me, Sam." I said as I grabbed her hand. "Arthur has made a complete three sixty personality wise from when we got here. You're making a difference in him and everyone can see it except you."

"Do you think so?" She asked sounding unsure.

"You're going to whip that conceded prat into shape." I said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Arthur had done well on his end of the tournament. He had won every match and was going to be in the finals the next day. As for me, I was still not in the mood to deal with the arrogant prince. I made my way down the steps and saw the dragon.<p>

"Hello." I said.

"Hello young one, what can I do for you?" He said.

"What am I supposed to do about Arthur?"

"I am afraid that you will have to be more specific."

"He's fighting in this tournament under the alias of Sir William just so that he can get the glory." I said, "I thought that I was making a difference in him."

"Fret not, Arthur still has a long path before him, but you are the determining force in whether he succeeds or fails."

"So, he's still on track?"

"Arthur will become the Once and Future King, Samantha, do not worry." He said, but then his tone got darker. "You need to beware, though."

"Beware what?" I asked.

"The assassin that was sent by Odin readies himself to strike as we speak." He said, I had honestly forgotten about Uther's announcement of the assassin.

"Who is he?"

"That, I do not know. You must be on guard, however."

"Alright." I mumbled. "I can do that."

* * *

><p>I put my hand on the horse's nose and began to stroke it. It was the day of the tournament and Merlin and I were readying 'Sir William's' horse. I looked over to see a rather ominous looking man walking towards us. He looked the horse over and then looked at Merlin.<p>

"He is a fine horse." He said, "I see your master has advanced to the final, he is extremely skilled with a lance."

"He's doing well, just one more match to go." Merlin said with pride in his voice.

"Tell me, what's he like to work for?" The man asked, I was curious at how bold the question was.

"Between you and me, he can be a bit if a prat." Merlin said without suspicion.

"So, are you no longer working for Prince Arthur?" The man asked.

"No." Merlin said, "I mean yeah, he's away."

"What Merlin is trying to say is that he is Arthur's servant, but he's just helping out. Aren't you Merlin?" I said with a smile as I looked at Merlin.

"Yeah." Merlin said while nodding rapidly.

"Well, I wish your master luck in the final." the man said.

"Thanks." Merlin replied as the man walked away.

"That was really smooth." I said.

"You think?" He asked sounding proud of himself.

"Absolutely not." I said.

* * *

><p>It was day two of the tournament and Sir William had already jousted once and was going to be competing in the final. I was sitting in the stands watching as people I did not know went at each other with lances. Aleya came over and sat down beside of me.<p>

"See the guy wearing all black over there?" She said as she looked at a man.

"What's significant about Batman?" I asked as I looked at him. His clothes were all black and he wore a black cloak.

"He was asking a lot of questions about Arthur." She said. I immediately recalled the dragon's warning about the assassin.

"He's the assassin." I mumbled.

"What was that?" Aleya asked sounding confused.

"I'll be right back." I said as I stood and walked out of the stands.

I made my way for Arthur's tent. I walked in and saw Arthur was sitting fiddling with some piece of armor.

"Arthur, I have something to tell you." I said quickly.

"What is it?" Arthur asked as he stood up.

"You can't..."

"They're ready for you." A voice rang from behind me. I turned and saw Sir William opening the curtain and walking in.

"You, wait here." Arthur said before walking out.

"Arthur!" I said as I followed him out of the tent. When I made it out he was already on his horse.

"Samantha, I have to go." Arthur said, sounding rather put out.

"Be careful." I said as he rode off.

I watched anxiously as Arthur rode at the other rider. I did not know why I was so nervous, it was not as though the assassin was the other rider, was it? In the blink of an eye Arthur was struck by the other rider's lance and he leaned backwards, though he did not fall off.

I watched as Merlin quickly ran onto the field, followed by Leon. They helped Arthur off of the horse and helped him over to the tent. Once he was sitting I noticed that there was a small puncture wound in his chest.

"You're losing too much blood." I said as I pulled out my handkerchief and pressed it against the wound causing Arthur to flinch.

"Do what you can, I have to be back on the court within five minutes or I forfeit the match." He said. I was shocked at just how stupid Arthur could be.

"Arthur, you have a hole in your chest!" I said.

"I have never forfeited a match!" He spat back.

"You would risk your life to protect your pride?" I asked, "You have nothing to prove. Especially not to me."

"You're wrong." He said as he stood up. "I have everything to prove, to myself." He then left the tent and left me standing. This was a big step for him, and I had been to blind to see it in him. I followed him out of the tent and handed him the lance once he was on the horse.

"Don't get yourself killed." I said as he rode off.

* * *

><p>I watched as Arthur rode out onto the field for the second time. It was obvious that he was hurt, but as to the extent of his injuries I had no idea. I heard someone walking up on the stands beside of me.<p>

"Where's Arthur?" Merlin asked.

"He's about to joust." I said as I noted the worried expression on his face.

"He's jousting against the assassin." Merlin said as he looked out onto the field.

"Great." I said as I stood and followed him out of the stands into the crowd. Arthur did have a tendency to get himself into trouble.

We made it to a spot at which we could see the field through the people. As the knights rode at each other I saw the added piece on the assassin's lance. Just before they met each other Merlin mumbled something and the imposter's saddle broke sending him flying onto the ground. I looked over at Merlin who looked as though a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

* * *

><p>Merlin helped Arthur back into the tent and I noted that he did not look well at all. His face was covered in sweat and his skin looked very pale. His wound on his chest was still bleeding too much for my liking.<p>

Sir William walked into the tent, helmet in hand and looked at Arthur. He held out the helmet to him.

"You must go reveal yourself, sire." He said.

"You do it." Arthur said.

"But what about proving yourself?" I asked. Arthur looked at me and smiled.

"Perhaps, this is a time for humility." He said. I smiled back at him with pride. My little Arthur was growing up.

* * *

><p>I knocked on the door to the physician's chambers and heard Gaius say to come in. When I opened the door I saw Merlin was cleaning out the leech tank.<p>

"What's this?" I asked as I walked over to Gaius who was sitting at the table reading.

"What is this, Aleya?" Merlin said sounding bitter. "What this is, is disgusting." As he looked over at me I noticed that the leeches were no longer in the tank.

"Maybe you'll think twice about lying to me." Gaius said, I looked down at Gaius who looked very pleased with himself. "Oh, and Merlin. You've got something on your face."

Merlin paled as he moved his hand up to his face and then began flailing. I could not repress the laughter that came out at the sight. I looked at Gaius to see that he was killing himself laughing. I moved over to Merlin.

"Let me help." I said as I began to remove the leeches from his face. This could only happen to Merlin.


	28. The Nightmare Begins Part One

**The Nightmare Begins**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>Sleep eluded me. I could hear the thunder rumbling outside and the room was illuminated by the persistent flashes of lightning. I had gone from walking around my chambers to hanging of the side of the bed in an attempt to make myself tired.<p>

Finally, having given up on the hope of getting any sleep, I walked out into the hallway. When I reached the end I pushed open the door to Aleya's chambers and walked in. She was in bed asleep, but her head was thrashing back and forth violently. I made my way to the bed when a vase shattered. I ducked to the floor as the shattered glass and roses fell. I looked up and saw Aleya sitting up in bed looking terrified.

"What the hell was that?" I asked as I stood up.

"I don't know." She said.

"Whatever it is, we best not tell Uther." I said. She nodded quickly. I looked over to the table which had a candle sitting on it when I noticed smoke billowing from under the door. "We should go." I said.

Aleya jumped out of bed. I pulled the door open and saw that the whole corridor was consumed with smoke. Her and I both made our way into the smoke. We were met by Arthur who was running down the hallway.

"What happened?" He asked.

"In there." Aleya said as she point towards Morgana's chambers, which were across the hall from mine. It was obvious that that was where the smoke was coming from.

As we got closer to the door I could hear Morgana's screams coming from inside. Arthur quickly ran over to the door and threw it open, causing more smoke to pile into the hallway. Aleya and I stood in the hallway, but I could see that the flames were engulfing a tapestry.

Arthur picked her up off of the bed and carried her out. He motioned for us to follow him so we did. He led us to his own chambers which were on the same hallway, but the smoke had not made it that far.

"What happened?" Aleya asked as she tried to comfort Morgana who seemed scared out of her wits.

"I don't know." Morgana mumbled.

"Did you leave a candle lit?" I asked.

"They were all out." Morgana said. Aleya looked to me and I knew what she was thinking. In the legends Morgana had magic, but I could not understand why she would have set the fire in her own room and almost killed herself.

* * *

><p>After the fire was extinguished and Samantha and I had both returned to our rooms I had not slept much. I busied myself with cleaning up the vase that had shattered. I remembered what Aglain had said to me about my having magic. It seemed so far out of the realm of possibility, but was it?<p>

It was just after dawn when I decided that I would go and see if Gaius needed any help. I had found that spending a lot of time alone was bad for my sanity. Merlin walked up behind me, carrying some sort of herbs.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"What?" I asked.

"I heard about the fire last night." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"It wasn't that big of a deal." I said.

"It must have been terrifying." He said as we walked.

"For Morgana, yeah, but I was just in the hallway." I said. "Besides, it takes a lot more than that to frighten me."

"I'm glad you're alright." He said as we made it to the physician's chambers. We stopped outside of the door because we heard voices coming from inside. From what I heard Gaius was comforting a distraught Morgana.

"You're the only person I've told about my dreams." Morgana said. "I know I can trust you Gaius."

"Yes, of course you can." Gaius said.

"It was me." She said. "I set the room alight. I started the fire."

"I don't understand, did you knock a candle over?" Gaius said.

"No that's not what happened. I did it just by looking at it. The flames suddenly leapt higher." She said.

"It could have been a gust of wind." Gaius said.

"It was me. It was magic." I looked over at Merlin who was looking at me with wide eyes.

"So she has magic?" I whispered.

"It would appear so." Merlin said.

"Uther will show her no mercy if he finds out." I said. "We have to help her."

"As of now, Uther is clueless. Until he finds out we have nothing to worry about." Merlin said. We heard Morgana walking for the door so we walked down the steps to avoid suspicion. "I'll only be a moment." Merlin said once Morgana had left. He took the stairs to at a time as he went. I had a distinctly bad feeling about this.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand your theory." I said to Arthur as he walked around the burnt area of Morgana's chambers.<p>

"What don't you understand?" He asked.

"If it was lightening then, wouldn't the window have broken inwards?" I asked.

"My father seems to think that it's sorcery." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"In fairness, your father believes that everything is sorcery." I said. He laughed a bit.

"You are correct." Arthur said. He motioned towards the door and I led the way out into the hallway.

"So, how is he going to proceed?" I asked.

"He's instructed me to arrest everyone that we have under suspicion." Arthur said.

"What?" I asked in shock. "What will that prove?"

"He believes that whoever is responsible will come forward before they see others die." Arthur said with remorse in his voice.

"What if this was just a candle being knocked over?" I asked.

"I don't know." He said. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"You know that this is wrong, Arthur." I said.

"There's nothing that I can do." He said as he walked off.

* * *

><p>Gaius had left to go an speak with the king about his arresting those suspected of sorcery so Merlin and I were in his chambers. Merlin was lighting some candles and I was sitting at the table reading some of Gaius' medical books.<p>

There was a knock at the door so I made my way back to Merlin's room as he went to answer it. The fact of our relationship still remained that no one could know about us. At the moment the only people who knew were Samantha and Gwen, although Arthur had shown his suspicions.

"Is Gaius here?" I heard Morgana asked.

"Uh, no he's not at the moment. He should be back soon though." Merlin said.

"I need to speak with him, where is he?" Morgana asked.

"He's gone to speak with the King. What's wrong?" Merlin asked. There was silence. "You can trust me, Morgana. You know you can."

"I'm scared, Merlin." She said, "I don't understand anything anymore. I need to know what's happening."

"Gaius will be back soon, he'll be able to help you." Merlin said.

"He won't, I don't want any remedies, they won't do any good." She said, "It's magic, Merlin."

"What?" Merlin asked sounding shocked.

"I'm your friend, you know that I wouldn't make this up." She said, I could hear the fear and uncertainty in her voice.

"Of course." Merlin said reassuringly.

"And you believe me?" Morgana asked. Merlin did not respond. "You think it's magic too? Please, Merlin, I just need to hear someone say it so I don't have to keep feeling like I'm imagining it."

"I really wish that there was something I could say." Merlin said. I heard Morgana walking away and when the door shut I walked out and saw Merlin was staring at the door.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked angrily.

"It's better this way, Aleya." He said, his tone sounding strained.

"You know good and well that she has magic." I said, "Why couldn't you just tell her?"

"I don't know for sure." Merlin said shaking his head.

"It's the only possibly explanation and you know it." I said. He did not say anything. "Merlin, now she feels as though she is going crazy and imagining it." I looked down to the ground. "I know how she feels." I mumbled.

"How do you know how she feels?" He asked as he turned to me.

"I..." I began but thankfully I was interrupted by Gaius walking in. As soon as he walked in I was out the door. I was not willing to hash this out with Merlin at the moment.

* * *

><p>"Arthur is arresting everyone who is suspected of consorting with sorcerers or the Druids." I sad. I Aleya was sitting on the chest at the end of my bed as I paced back and forth. It was apparent that her mind was somewhere else.<p>

"What was that about the Druids?" Aleya asked.

"They're arresting anyone who consorts with them, why?" I asked.

"The Druids, they help people with magic, right?" She asked.

"Aleya, you don't need to go to them." I said as I sat down beside of her.

"I know that, Morgana does." She said.

"What?" I asked.

"Morgana, she has magic. She started the fire." She said. Wonderful, Morgana had magic. That could only bode well for Camelot.

"Uther thinks that it was an attempt on her life." I said.

"You don't understand, Sam." She said, "Morgana feels lost and confused and she thinks that she's imagining it."

"Maybe she is imagining this." I said and Aleya gave me a look.

"What if this is the path that leads her to become the Morgan Le Fay of the legends?" Aleya asked. She did have a very compelling argument.

"And she told you all this?" I asked. It could be said that Aleya and I were not exactly close with Morgana.

"Well, no." She said, "She told Merlin."

"Isn't he going to help her?" I asked.

"He doesn't believe her." She said, "But, if Merlin won't I will."

"How do plan to find the Druids?" I asked.

"Well, if Arthur is arresting people suspected of talking to them, then there must be a list.." She said with a sly smile. "I would bet that Arthur has it."

"And if you can find these Druids, are you going to have Morgana wandering around the woods to find them?"

"No, I'll have to go and ask them if they can help."

"So, you'll be wandering around the woods by yourself?"

"I can take care of myself, Sam."

"I'm going with you, if you go."

"Fine."

"How do you plan to get the list?"

"Could you, maybe, perhaps distract Arthur?"

"Like last time?" I asked remember the past.

"Just, keep it rated G, alright?" She said with a smile.

You would think that it would be extremely easy to distract someone for a few moments, but things are instantly complicated immensely when the person who you are trying to distract is Arthur Pendragon. I walked up to him in the hallway, unsure of how I was going to complete my task.

"Arthur." I said with a smile.

"I need to get through, Samantha." He said with urgency in his voice.

"Why the rush?" I asked as he tried to step by me. I moved and blocked his path. Aleya owed me big time.

"My father has instructed me to bring in all of those who are under suspicion." He said.

"And you have to do that now?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Like right now?"

"Yes."

"Like this very moment?"

"Samantha, please." He said with desperation in his voice. I saw Aleya walking down the hallway. She raised her thumbs up while mouthing something.

"Alright then. Have fun. Be safe. Wear a helmet." I said as I ran past him leaving him standing there confused.

"Never again." I said as I walked into Aleya's chambers and saw her sitting there smiling widely.

"There's a woman named Fern who lives in the lower town." She said as she stood up. "I won't be long, get ready to leave."

She walked out of my chambers eagerly. I was not sure that she fully understood what she was getting herself into. Or me into, for that matter.

* * *

><p>I had walked past the guards, trying to look as normal as possible. I made it to the house which, luckily, they had not made it to yet. I opened the door and walked in realizing that this was not a time for social graces. I looked around the house for her when I felt something sharp against my back.<p>

"Who are you?" A woman's voice called from behind .e

"I'm Aleya, are you Fern?" I said. She dropped her blade and I turned and looked at the woman. She had dark hair and she wore a green dress. She looked at me quizzically.

"Why do you ask?" She said.

"Because we haven't got much time." I said. "Uther has sent out men to arrest everyone who is under suspicion of magic."

"This way." She said as she led the way to the back of the house. "Thank you, you have taken a great risk."

"I wish that I could help more of them." I mumbled. "Do you know where the Druids are?"

"I do not." She said defensively.

"Listen, I need to find them. My friend needs their help." I said with pleading eyes.

"Their camp is on the very edge of the Darkling woods." She said. "Do not betray their trust."

"I only want their help." I said, "Thank you." I said before running off having accomplished my goal.

* * *

><p>I watched from the window as people were led into the castle. The guards were handling them like animals. I was astonished at just how cruel Uther was, just how blinded by his hatred. I could only hope that he had not corrupted Arthur in the same way. Arthur was beginning to feel unsure about what his standpoint on magic was, which was a good thing. I remembered the dragon's words regarding the road that Arthur had to travel. The door swung open and Aleya walked in.<p>

"You ready?" She said.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked as I picked up my satchel that I had packed moments earlier.

"Of course." She said.

"Do you think that she would do the same for you?" I asked.

"She doesn't have to." Aleya said, "Now are you coming?"

"Where to?" I asked with a forced smile as I walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I walked for what seemed like forever. By the time night fell I had my doubts as to whether or not the information that I had been given was true. I could tell that Samantha was having her doubts as well.<p>

"Are these woods safe at night?" She asked as she sat down against a tree. I sat down next to her, looking around the darkened woods.

"I'm not sure." I said.

"That's great." Samantha said, "Just wonderful."

"What was that?" I asked as I heard something rustling in the woods. I stood up and began to look around.

"Maybe it's a bunny." Samantha said as she stood up beside of me. At that moment a giant scorpion walked into view.

"What the hell is that?" I yelled.

"Look at the sting on that thing!" Samantha said as she drew her sword.

"You think you can kill it?" I asked.

"I can try." Samantha said before she charged at the creature. She tried to stab her sword into it, but the blade shattered. She backed up to me. "Yeah, I don't think I can."

"Should we run?" I asked.

"That seems to be our best option." She said. As she turned the scorpion stung her on the back and she fell to the ground.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I knelt down next to her.

"I'm not sure." She said as she tried to stand up and fell. "I'm going to go with no."

"Crap." I mumbled as I stood up to face the scorpion.

"What are you doing?" Samantha said weakly.

"Something blatantly idiotic." I said. I held out my hand and tried to channel whatever had made the vase shatter.

The scorpion stung me on the arm but through the burst of pain that radiated through me I felt a surge of power. The scorpion was flung against a tree and fell to the ground, dead. I felt my legs give way and I fell down next to Samantha.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I don't know." I said as I started to see spots on my vision. I felt myself fall into darkness, wondering what else was in the woods.


	29. The Nightmare Begins Part Two

**The Nightmare Begins**

**Part Two**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>My head throbbed. My body ached. As I opened my eyes I immediately regretted the decision. I sat up and looked around. We were still in the forest. Memories from the previous night flew back into my mind and I looked down and saw Samantha lying on the ground next to me.<p>

I placed my hand on her shoulder and began to shake her back and forth. She sat up quickly, almost knocking heads with me. She looked around frantically.

"What happened?" She asked. "You magicked that thing." She said as her wits came back to her.

"I don't know how I did it." I said as I looked over and saw the corpse of that creature lying against a tree.

"Aleya, this is some serious stuff here." She said, I could see the worry in her eyes. "We have to figure this out."

"We have to find the Druids, Arthur will be worried about you by now." I said, knowing that mentioning Arthur would sidetrack her train of thought.

* * *

><p>"What should we call those things?" I asked as we walked along. Of all of the terrifying things that we had seen since coming to Camelot, I never thought that giant scorpions would factor into the equation.<p>

"Terrifying?" Aleya said. I took note of the gash on her arm, it did not look very good. I assumed that the gash on my back probably looked the same. It stung with every movement, but I knew that we had to keep going. For both Morgana's sake and Aleya's.

"You see that?" I said as I pointed through the woods at a billow of smoke that was rising through the woods.

"Do you think that's them?" Aleya asked, sounding hopeful.

"That or bandits." I said, "Fifty fifty chance."

"Sounds good to me." Aleya said as she walked on.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I were getting very close to the smoke and I was beginning to feel a bit light headed. I hoped that they were not bandits. I was actually to the point that if they were bandits, it might be a more merciful end.<p>

Samantha led the way through the foliage and we saw a man sitting by the fire. It was not any man, however, it was the man who had saved us from the bandits.

"Aglain." I muttered as we drew closer.

"Aleya, Samantha." He said as he stood up. It was then that I realized that Samantha and I both must have looked terrible. "What's happened to you?" He asked as he moved closer to us.

"We were attacked by giant scorpions." Samantha said while making motions with her hands.

"Then you are lucky to be alive." He said sounding shocked. "The Serkets are powerful adversaries."

"We came here in search of the Druids. My friend, Morgana, needs their help." I said

"If it is your friend that requires help, then why are you here?" He asked looking me in the eyes.

"It's far too dangerous for her to come." Samantha said.

"Perhaps, or are you searching for answers yourself?" He asked suspiciously

"You said Merlin knew." I asked. I did not want to believe it, but all of the signs were there.

"I cannot yet say, when the time is right you will find the answers you seek." He said.

"Can you take us to their camp?" Samantha said seeing that I was uncomfortable with the subject.

"Not to offend you, but neither of you look fit to travel." He said. "Did the Serket's sting you?"

"Not really, just nicked my back and her arm." Samantha said.

"I can heal it." Aglain said.

* * *

><p>As soon as Aglain did his magic thing on my back I felt ten times better. He moved over to Aleya and incanted the same spell. She looked at him in shock.<p>

"Thank you." She muttered.

"We must hurry if we are going to make it to the camp before the storm." He said. I looked up at the sky.

"But the skies are clear." I said in confusion.

"A storm is coming none the less." He said as he turned and walked into the woods.

"Not ominous at all." I muttered as Aleya and I followed him.

* * *

><p>Samantha and I followed Aglain through the forest. As we walked down a ridge I could see smoke rising from the camp. It blew my mind how people like this could be hunted only because they were born with magic.<p>

I wondered what Uther's reasoning for hating magic so much. It was hard for me to believe that he just decided one day that magic was pure evil. Something must have happened to cause him to have such drastic views.

"Aglain." I said as I made my way up beside of him. "Why does Uther persecute your people?" I asked.

"He has bid a war on all things magic." He said.

"But why?" I asked, "What causes his hatred?"

"I do not know, all we can do is hope that Arthur will be a better king." He said. I smiled as I looked back at Samantha.

"He's going to be a better king if I have to drag him kicking and screaming." Samantha said. I laughed.

* * *

><p>We walked for a long while before Aglain stopped in the middle of the trail. He turned to Aleya and I.<p>

"The camp is just through those trees, but there is something you should know." He said.

"What is it?" Aleya asked.

"We have been harboring the Lady Morgana until she is healed." He said.

"She was in Camelot when we left!" I said.

"She travelled through the forest of Essiter, it is a more direct route than the one you two took." Aglains said. Aleya was a terrible GPS.

"What happened to her?" Aleya asked sounding concerned.

"She was attacked by the Serket, although her injury was a bit more severe than yours." He said.

"Is she alright?" Aleya asked.

"We have healed her, she should make a full recovery." He said.

"Looks like we came for nothing." I muttered.

"You did not." Aglain said. "It was mapped out for you to be here. Destiny has a plan that none of us can fully understand."

* * *

><p>As we entered the camp I was growing more and more appauled by Uther's persecution. They were just people living life the only way they knew how to. They were not harming anyone with their magic.<p>

"Why are you here?" Morgana asked as we walked into her tent.

"Howdy hey to you too." Samantha said.

"We came to find the Druids to help you." I said as I sat down.

"Why are you here?" Samantha said as she looked to the back of the tent. Morgana and I both turned and saw Merlin was walking in.

"Uther thinks that Morgana has been kidnapped. He's going to start executing anyone suspected of sorcery." Merlin said sounding as though he was out of breath.

"He's going to what?" I asked.

"Then why are you here?" Morgana said coldly.

"To bring you back." Merlin said.

"Then I am afraid that you have wasted your journey." Morgana said. "I am never going back."

"What?" Merlin and Samantha said in unison.

"These people understand, Merlin." She said, "In a way that no one in Camelot never will."

"You listen to me, Tinkerbell." Samantha said. "People are going to die if you don't come back."

"If I return the same fate awaits me." She said.

"Uther doesn't have to know about this, Morgana." I said, "We won't tell anyone."

"I'm sorry." She said.

* * *

><p>Morgana was being selfish. Sure, she would have to live in hiding but countless others would die if she did not return. I did not know how she could allow that to happen.<p>

"You don't care that innocent people will die?" I asked. We had been pleading with Morgana for the past ten minutes and she had not budged an inch. Suddenly we saw Aglain's head pop through the door of the tent.

"We need to go." He said.

"What's wrong?" Morgana asked.

"Arthur is making his way here as we speak. Your friend has led them right to us." He said. I looked at Aleya.

Aglain entered the tent and helped Morgana out. Merlin, Aleya, and I followed them. When we got outside I saw the Druid boy, Aleya and Merlin both turned to him as if he spoke to them.

"Mordred." Aleya mumbled.

"We need to go." Merlin said as he placed a hand on Aleya's back and she began walking in the same direction as Aglain had gone.

Merlin and Aleya led the way through the woods. I held Mordred's hand and dragged him along and Morgana was being helped by Aglain when she fell against a rock.

"I can't go on, it's too painful." Morgana said.

"You've got to." Aleya said.

"I'll create a distraction, just keep going." Merlin said, Aleya glared at him.

"Alright, my lady. Time to hike up your skirts and run for it." I said to Morgana as Mordred ran on ahead.

"Merlin, if Arthur..." Aleya began. Merlin turned and placed a hand on her face.

"I want you to be safe." He said. "Sam." He said as he looked at me. I grabbed Aleya by the arm and dragged her away.

Aleya struggled against me. I could not say that I would not have done the same, I mean, Merlin was almost definitely going to use magic to distract Arthur. If Arthur found out about Merlin's magic it could ruin everything.

* * *

><p>When we had stopped we lost Morgana, Aglain, and Mordred. We were now travelling blindly throught the forest, and there was still no sign of Merlin behind us. Samantha stopped in the middle of a clearing.<p>

"Which way did they go?" I asked as I looked for any sign of movement in the trees.

"I don't know." She said. I could hear people running towards us.

"Which way do we go?" I asked.

"That way." Samantha said pointing into the forest.

I followed behind her for a while until we came to a section of the woods where we saw Mordred being cornered by some of the men. I held myself back, knowing that he could take care of hiself. He looked at them and then screamed. With the scream they were all pushed backwards.

Mordred looked at Merlin who was standing on the other side of the clearing and then over at Samantha and I and then he ran off into the woods. I stepped past Samantha and into the clearing. Merlin smiled at me and then walked over to me. I did not know what he was expecting, but I am pretty sure that he was not expecting the slap on the face that he got.

"That's for risking your life like an idiot." I said. He looked a bit surprised as he rubbed his cheek.

"It worked." He said sounding offended.

"What if he would have seen?" I asked.

"Alright, lovebirds." Samantha said as she walked between us. "Not that I am not loving witnessing your first spat, but there is the matter that the guards of Camelot are searching this forest as we speak."

"She's right." I said, not ready to end this discussion.

"Arthur isn't the most observant." Merlin said. Samantha turned and slapped him.

"Stop insulting him." She said as she kept walking. Merlin looked even more shocked then when I had slapped him.

"We should probably..." I started.

"Go, yep." He said, "Come on."


	30. Lancelot and Guinevere Part One

**Lancelot and Guinevere**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>"Why are you going?" Aleya asked as she handed me my cloak off of the table. She was referring to my imminent trip with Morgana to visit her father's grave. I looked down into the courtyard and saw that Morgana was already on her horse and Gwen was talking with Merlin.<p>

"I want to get to know her better." I said, "For Arthur's sake."

"Right." Aleya said as we walked down the hallway. "Have you two placed a name on it yet?"

"Not as of yet." I said. We had made it down the steps and were now in the courtyard.

"Right then, be careful, make good choices, all that jazz." Aleya said with a smile.

"Will do." I said as I walked over to my horse. Arthur was standing next to it and smiled at me as I got closer.

"May I help you onto your horse, my lady?" He asked.

"Yes, you may." I said with a smile. He put his hands around my waist and lifted me onto the horse.

"Have them back by sundown." Arthur commanded the guards who were riding out with us. As we rode I looked back and smiled at Arthur.

* * *

><p>"Look at the two of them." I said as I walked over to Merlin who was holding a target and a cross bow.<p>

"I've never heard Arthur talk of a woman like that." He said.

"What does he say?" I asked.

"Oh, you know." Merlin began.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled, interrupting him.

"Duty calls." He said as he began down thte steps clumsily. I watched as the target slipped from his grasp and he tripped over it.

"Merlin!" I yeled as I ran down to him.

"Clumsy idiot." Arthur said.

"Prat." I mumbled as I helped Merlin up. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." He said as he picked the shield.

"You do realize that you cannot address me like that?" Arthur said.

"I think you mean that I shouldn't." I said as I came face to face with him.

* * *

><p>The ride was turning out to be unbelievably awkward. We rode in silence for almost the whole way. Gwen and I exchanged a conversation about the weather, but that was the extent of our conversing.<p>

I honestly did not know why I had thought that doing this was a good idea, considering I knew precisely what Morgana would turn into. I did not feel like becoming friends with her only for her to turn evil.

My thoughts were interrupted by yells echoing through the forest. I looked to my left and saw men running down the hill at us. I began to turn my head to the right when I felt someone grab me and pull me off my horse. He held me in his arms and I began to kick and elbow him.

Finally, when one of my hits struck him in the face, he let me go. I began running for the woods, knowing that even if I could get my hands on a weapon there was no way that I could possibly make a difference against so many men.

"This way!" Morgana yelled as Gwen and I followed her.

We were stopped when we met the man who I assumed was the leader of the group. He was riding on a black steed and looked extremely menacing.

"I will warn you, I am Uther Pendragon's ward. He will have your heads if any harm comes to me." Morgana said. The man simply smiled at her and then looked down at the ground.

"I have no intention of harming you." He said as he looked back up at us, "At least not yet."

"You can't say the same for the people you just slaughtered." I said with fire in my voice.

"They were dispensable, you are much more valuable to me alive." He said. I was disgusted at how little an opinion he had of life.

* * *

><p>"Rough day?" I asked as Merlin walked into my chambers. He looked more exhausted than usual. He sat down in a chair and I shut the door behind him.<p>

"Arthur wanted target practice." He said. I moved over to him and began to rub his shoulders.

"Is that when he throws knives at you or when he shoots at you with a crossbow?" I asked.

"Today?" He said, "Both."

"Why does he do that?" I asked with a laugh.

"I think that he enjoys it." Merlin said.

"He does get a sadistic smile on his face when he throws sharp things at you." I said. We both started laughing when there was a knock at the door. Merlin stood up as I walked over to answer it.

"How did I know I'd find you here?" Arthur said as I opened the door and he saw Merlin.

"Maybe you're psychic?" Merlin suggested with a smile. Arthur did not look very happy at the moment.

"What's wrong?" I asked, not sure that I wanted to know the answer.

"I need you two to come with me, now." He said. I looked back to Merlin and then followed Arthur out the door. I knew what was happening, I just did not want to believe it.

* * *

><p>The men had led us to their camp and then forced us into one of the tents. I looked out and saw at least twenty men walking about, sharpening swords and preparing weapons.<p>

"You know what you have to do?" I asked as I looked over at Morgana who looked nervous. Morgana nodded and then stood up. The man walked over to the tent, his mouth widened to reveal a yellow smile.

"I trust you are comfortable?" He said

"I demand to know where you are taking us." She said in an authoritative tone. He laughed and then looked her in the eyes.

"You'll find out soon enough." He said, "We have a long journey ahead of us, get some rest." He said. As he began to walk away Morgana followed him.

"I wish to bathe." She said. The man turned and stared back at her.

"You wish to bathe?" He asked in disbelief as he stepped closer. I saw Morgana flinch, but she still held the authoritative air about her.

"I am the King's ward, I am accustomed to certain standards." She said before looking the man in the eyes, "I am sure you are quite contented to stink like a pig, but I am not." She finished with fire in her voice.

"The Lady Morgana wishes to bathe." The man said loudly. Then a smile quirked on the man's lips. "Who wants to help me guard her?"

With that remark, all of the men began to laugh. I looked the men over and wondered how we always managed to get into the worst possible situations.

Arthur led Merlin and I into the council chambers where we were met by Uther and Leon. Melrin took his place in the corner of the room and I stood beside of Arthur.

"Morgana and Samantha's party has not returned to Camelot, there is no sign of them." Arthur said. My stomach dropped as my mind processed what those words meant.

"Send riders to the outlying villages. I want every guard, every century, looking for them." Uther said.

"I will dispatch them immediately." Arthur said before leading me out of the room.

"I knew this was a bad idea." I said as I walked into the hallway.

"I promise you that I will find her if it's the last thing that I do." Arthur said. I turned and looked at him.

"I can't just sit by and do nothing." I said.

"That's all you can do for now." He said. I had never felt so helpless in my life.

"You might find the water a little icy." The man said with a smile. The other man held my arm with one hand and Gwen's with the other.

"I'm sure I'll manage." Morgana said with venom in her controlled voice. She looked over the man, waiting for him to turn his back. Any decent man would have, but these men were far from that. "If you were any kind of gentlemen you would give me some privacy." She said.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I am no sort of gentleman." The man said, "Now get on with it."

Morgana looked down and began to unfasten one of the buckles on her dress. As she did the man let go of Gwen and I and stepped forward. I smiled

"You may find the water a little, icy." The man said smiling. One other man held my arm with one hand and Gwen's arm with the other. Morgana looked over her shoulder, obviously feeling uncomfortable with the turn of events.

"You can at least turn your backs." She muttered.

"So you can make a run for it? Do you think I'm that stupid?" He asked. I stared at the man's sword and prepared to make my move.

"I think you're very stupid." Morgana said.

I pulled the sword from the man's sheath and then ran him through with it. He called out and alerted the other man whom Morgana punched quickly in the face. The man's call alerted the others in the camp.

"Run!" I yelled as I tossed Morgana the sword and led the way into the woods.

We made it into the thick woods and I dared to look back, a practice that was never a good idea. I saw men following us, and gaining on us. I also saw Gwen fall. I moved back to her and grabbed her arm. Morgana turned and looked at her.

"Put your arm around my shoulder." I said.

"No, please, just leave me." She said.

"We're not leaving you." Morgana said, though she continued to watch the men who were pursuing us.

"You have to get help." Gwen said. Morgana thought for a moment, Gwen did have a valid point, but leaving her was not an option.

"Take this." Morgana said as she gave Gwen the sword. Gwen moved behind a tree and Morgana and I kept moving, knowing that Gwen would stand a better chance if we could get back to Camelot and get help. We heard men yell in pain in the distance and Morgana stopped.

"Keep goi…" I said before I felt a man put his hand over my mouth. Morgana looked at me for a moment before continuing down the path.

I fought with everything I had to get out of the man's grasp, but the truth was he was just too strong for me to overcome. He dragged me back to the camp where they had taken Gwen also. The leader seemed displeased with the fact that Morgana had escaped, but I could not be happier. Now she would get help from Camelot.

"How could you let her escape?" He yelled angrily. All of the men who stood around the camp flinched at his tone. "These two are worthless."

"To you maybe" I muttered

"What was that?" He asked as he stepped closer to me.

"I am worthless to you just as you are worthless to me." I said as I bit back my fear. He was going to kill me anyway so I might as well give him a piece of my mind. He looked over at Gwen who looked terrified at our current predicament.

He grabbed Gwen by the face and motioned for the other men to hand him Morgana's dress which had been discarded when we had escaped. I could tell what he was thinking and I did not like it one bit.

"Put them on." He said as he tossed the pile at Gwen.

"What are you going to do with me?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hangus has never met Lady Morgana. For all he knows you could be Uther Pendragon's ward." The man said.

"I will not impersonate my mistress." Gwen said, but the man drew his sword and pressed the blade against her throat.

"Then you will die where you stand." He said.

"Just do it, Gwen." I prompted knowing that we would stand a better chance if we simply waited it out.

* * *

><p>I watched as Arthur led the search party back into the city, Morgana in tow. I immediately was filled with a feeling of dread. As I walked out into the courtyard Merlin walked over to me.<p>

"Where's Sam?" I asked. Merlin looked over to Arthur who had dismounted his horse and was heading into the castle.

"There was no sign of her." Arthur said.

"You're not giving up, are you?" I asked.

"They gave their lives that I might be safe." Morgana said. Arthur looked me in the eyes, I knew that he was feeling the same thing that I was.

"I don't know, I have to consult with my father." He said as he led Morgana into the castle.

"While your consulting with your father she's in the hands of those monsters!" I called after him with tears welling in my eyes.

"We're going to find her, Ally." Merlin said, I avoided his stare as he spoke, "I promise."

I did not speak. I was too filled with dread to utter a complete sentence, much less speak my complaints to their plan.

* * *

><p>We rode for a long while through the thick forest. I was trying to memorize the path that we had taken in case Gwen and I had to make a hasty escape. I knew that this man who wanted us could not want us for a good reason. I dreaded to think of what he wanted from us.<p>

He wanted Morgana, or in this case Gwen, simply because she was Uther's ward. The only thing that I could think that he would want would be to hold her for ransom. The problem with this was that Uther would never pay a ransom for Morgana if she had made it back to Camelot. He certainly would not pay a ransom for Gwen and I.

We rode up to a castle that was extremely different from Camelot. It was either older or less kept up because the stones were crumbling and they had an ugly color to them. Once we had passed through the worn gates I was dragged by one of the men off of my horse and Gwen by another. We were dragged into the castle and then led into a huge room that was dominated by a cage in the center of it.

My admiration of the room was put to rest when a rather large man entered. He looked slightly better than our captors, but he still could use a nice bath. I assumed he was the Hangus that the bandits had spoken of.

"Henric, I was beginning to think that you had failed me." He said in a gruff voice.

"May I present, the Lady Morgana." Henric said as he shoved Gwen forward. Hangus bowed in front of Gwen, who was doing a better job of concealing her fear.

"You're as beautiful as they say, Lady Morgana." He said.

"I demand that you release us immediately." Gwen said with an authoritative tone that was extremely convincing.

"Just as soon as Uther Pendragon pays your ransom" He said. I flinched as I realized that my fears were correct. There was no way that Hangus was going to get his payment. I feared to think what he would do to us when he did not receive the ransom.

"I should have guessed that all of this came down to greed." I said, somehow unafraid.

"Who's she?" He inquired as he looked over to Henric.

"I am lady Samantha of Camelot and you should learn some manners, and how to brush your teeth." I said as I noticed his yellow teeth.

"Lock them up." He said as he shoved me into Henric.

* * *

><p>I heard a knock at the door, but I ignored it. I had changed into the clothes that I had acquired when we went to Ealdor seeing as they suited my mission. The person knocked again as I placed my dagger on my belt. I walked over to the door and pulled it open and saw Merlin standing there.<p>

"What are you doing?" He asked as he looked me over.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I asked.

"You're not going after her." He said in a commanding tone that I did not like.

"And you're going to stop me?" I asked. He thought for a moment.

"Well, you're not going alone." He said, "Arthur and I are going to ride out soon."

"Alright" I said.

"It won't be safe." He said as if he were still trying to convince me to stay here. Hell would freeze over before I did that.

"Is anything that we do ever safe?" I asked.

"Come on then." He said as he led the way out the door. I grabbed my satchel and followed him.

* * *

><p>Gwen and I sat in the filthy cell. It was damp and smelt of mildew. I looked over to Gwen who I could tell was fighting back tears.<p>

"Arthur will come for us." I said in an attempt to comfort her.

"What happens when Hangus finds out that I'm not Morgana?" She asked. That was an excellent question.

"He won't." I said.

"When Uther doesn't pay the ransom he'll know."

"If he does we'll enact my brilliant escape plan." I said with a smile.

"What's that?" Gwen asked.

"The escape plan is I'll take out Hangus and you take out everyone else." I said in a joking manner, hoping that it worked to alleviate the tension. "It's sure to work."

"So, basically we wait for Arthur?"

"Basically" I muttered in defeat.

I hoped that I was right about Arthur coming to get us. I knew that Aleya would be raising hell in Camelot once she realized that we were gone. I heard someone walking towards us and I stood up. The man opened the cell door and grabbed my arm, another man followed and grabbed Gwen.

"Where are you taking us?" I asked in my own version of a commanding tone. The man did not answer, "I demand to be told!" I yelled. He still did not answer me. I began to fight him but he only tightened his grip.

* * *

><p>After my convincing Arthur that I was coming and there was nothing that his royal highness could do about it we finally left. Arthur knelt next to a barrel, out of sight of the guards, and Merlin and I followed.<p>

"You distract the guards and I'll fetch the horses." Arthur said as he retreated back towards where we had left the horses.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Merlin asked, but Arthur did not hear.

"Why don't you use one of your many talents?" I asked.

He looked at one of the barrels and his eyes glowed gold. The barrel began to roll towards the two guards. It stopped short of them and they moved towards it to investigate. Merlin moved his hand up and the barrel stood up causing the guards to visibly jump. I held in laughter at their reaction. He said something and more barrels began to roll towards them and knocked them over.

"Oops." Merlin muttered in shock.

"Oops is right." I said, still trying to hold back laughter.

"What did you do?" Arthur said as he returned with the horses.

* * *

><p>They led us into the room with the cage in it but this time it was filled with yelling men. They led us to a table and sat Gwen beside Hangus and me beside of her. After a while of them yelling and eating like pigs Hangus looked over at us.<p>

"It seems our royal guests have grown bored." He said as he placed his hands on Gwen's shoulder causing her to flinch. "They need entertainment."

Apparently his words meant something because the door inside of the cage opened and a large man walked out. He greeted the yelling men, "Bring on the challenger!" Hangus yelled. At his command another man ran into the cage, a man that I immediately recognized.

"Only one of you will leave this cage alive. Do you accept the challenge?" Hangus asked. The two men bowed and we watched as they both squared up to fight.

_Lancelot_ had certainly managed to get himself into trouble.


	31. Lancelot and Guinevere Part Two

**Lancelot and Guinevere**

**Part Two**

* * *

><p>Lancelot fought off the other man with ferocity and skill. I had seen firsthand when he had fought with Arthur the amount of skill that he possessed. He appeared to be winning, until the man managed to take him down to the ground. Lancelot rushed his sword by the man's legs causing him to stumble backwards and giving Lancelot the opportunity get back up and obtain the upper hand of the battle once more.<p>

Lancelot knocked the sword out of the man's hands and took him to the ground. I felt enormous relief that he had managed to defeat his opponent. Lancelot stared over at Hangus and then at Gwen and I, obviously realizing who we were. He put his sword back in its sheath and began to help the other man up. He walked out of the cage and then over to the table where we were seated.

Hangus seemed upset that Lancelot had not killed the man, but that just spoke of his nobility. He would not take a life if it was not necessary. Hangus threw a sack down on the table that was obviously filled with golden coins. Lancelot looked over at Gwen and then me.

"What is your name?" Hangus asked.

"My name is Lancelot." He said.

"You have proven yourself to be a skillful warrior." Hangus said. "I believe you may have even impressed our royal gueast, Lady Morgana." Lancelot looked surprised at this development, but he went along with it.

"My lady." Lancelot said with a bow.

"Next time you fight, do not expect any mercy." Hangus said. "Release the Wilderen." At his command the door at the end of the cage came open and a horrific creature walked out.

The man inside of the cage cowered against the wall while yelling and pleading for his life. The creature walked blindly towards the man, while sniffing and trying to locate the man. His yells echoed through the cavernous room as he was torn apart. The barbarians that filled the room erupted with cheering at the sound of spilt blood.

* * *

><p>We rode in silence, a phenomenon which was odd between Merlin and Arthur. I heard a thump behind me and Merlin's horse rode on in front of me without a rider. I stopped and looked back and saw Merlin lying on the ground. Arthur had turned as well.<p>

"What are you doing, Merlin?" He asked. Merlin looked a bit surprised.

"I must have fallen asleep." He said, "I'm exhausted." He let his head lie back against the ground. I pulled my canteen off of my saddle and poured some of the cold water onto him causing him to sit up quickly. When he looked at me I simply smiled.

"Thank you, I feel so much better." He said.

"Samantha's life is at stake, we cannot afford to waste a second." Arthur said as he continued to ride on.

* * *

><p>Gwen and I were taken back to our cell where we waited for whatever plan Hangus had for us. In this case the silence was deafening.<p>

"Gwen." A voice whispered. Gwen and I both stood up and looked towards the grate where the voice had come from. Gwen smiled as she saw Lancelot staring through the small grate.

"Lancelot." She muttered.

"I thought that my mind was deceiving me when I saw you." He said.

"And I thought my eyes were." Gwen said.

"Tell me, why does Hangus think you are Lady Morgana?" He asked.

"A group of bandits captured us, but Morgana escaped so they lied to Hangus about Gwen's identity." I said, "He thinks he's holding Morgana for ransom."

"I fear for when Uther does not pay the ransom." Gwen said, "What if he feeds us to those beasts?"

"I will not allow that to happen." Lancelot said in a calm tone.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, "Are you working for that brute?"

"No." Lancelot asked.

"Then why are you here?" Gwen asked.

"There are few opportunities for men like me so I have been earning a living the only way I know how, with a sword in my hand." He said, "It seems as though it is my destiny to entertain men like Hangus."

"I don't believe that of you. You are so full of hope." Gwen said.

"I was wrong. The world is not like that."

"I still see hope in you. I do not accept that it is gone."

"I thought I would never see you again."

"Someone's coming." I said as the sound of someone coming echoed through the hallway outside. Lancelot looked anxiously at Gwen.

"No matter what it takes, I will find a way to get you out of here. I promise." He said before walking off and leaving us alone. Gwen and I sat back down and waited, trying to avoid suspicion.

* * *

><p>I had not managed to sleep very well. Merlin and I were both leaned against either side of a tree and it was not exactly big on comfort. I was awoken by water pouring on my face. I jerked up quickly and saw that Arthur had done the same thing to Merlin.<p>

"How long was I asleep for?" Merlin asked drowsily.

"Long enough." Arthur replied. I stood up and moved over towards my horse, ready to get on with the journey.

"Did you get some rest?" I asked as I looked over at Arthur.

"Couldn't sleep." He said while shaking his head.

"I've never seen you like this." Merlin said, "About anyone."

"What are you talking about?"

"Sam, you really care about her, don't you?"

"What I care about now is not wasting any more time talking." Arthur said abruptly, "Get moving."

Arthur may have been some big and bad warrior, but I did not understand why that meant that he could not admit his feelings. Sure, Samantha and him flirted like no other couple that I had ever seen, but they did not show their true feelings for each other. Arthur just needed to show Samantha how he truly felt before they could move forward.

* * *

><p>We could hear a key turning in the cell door and when it came open Hangus walke din. Gwen and I both stood to face the man.<p>

"I have not yet received word from Uther that he intends to pay your ransom." He said, "I was informed that the king was extremely fond of his ward. Are you not surprise that he is contented to leave you here to die?"

"How can I know the king's mind when I am locked in your stinking cell?" Gwen asked, with renew vigor since seeing Lancelot.

"If I do not hear from Uther by dawn tomorrow this stinking cell with be the last place you ever see." He said. He walked out and Gwen collapsed onto the bed.

"It'll be okay." I said as I tried to assert confidence into my words.

"He will not pay the ransom." Gwen said.

"No, he won't." I said, "But Lancelot will be true to his word. He will get us out of here."

That was all we had to hope for. I had no idea where Arthur was and it was hard for me to accept that he had given up. He was, however, running out of time to burst in and rescue us from certain death.

* * *

><p>"The ransom was to be delivered to the Vale of Denaria. If they're holding Samantha and Gwen anywhere, it has to be there." Arthur said as he pointed to the map. "That means that it will save us a day's riding if we cut through the tunnels of Indor." He said motioning towards the cave that was in front of us.<p>

"Oh no, I know that face. I'm not going to like this, am I?" Merlin asked, "What's in those tunnels?"

"They are infested with Wilderen." Arthur mumbled.

"What the hell are Wilderen?" I asked, not liking the sound of this at all.

"They're like giant….baby rats." Arthur with a series of elaborate hand motions.

"Baby rats." Merlin said while nodding, "They don't sound too bad."

"They feast on human flesh." Arthur said.

"Maybe we should go over the mountains." I said. Arthur gave his sword to Merlin and ran over to some berries.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"Wilderen are completely blind and they hunt by sense of smell." He said as he held up a berry, "Gauya berries will put them off of the scent."

"So, you think if we stink they won't try to eat us?"

"Exactly." Arthur said. I walked over to the bush and picked some of the foul berries. I smeared some over my face and immediately regretted it. They smelt worse than the stables in Camelot.

"These stink." Merlin said.

"Would you prefer to be eaten alive?" I asked.

"Pass me some more, will you?" He said. Arthur came up from behind him and smeared some on his face. I laughed until he did the same to me.

"Come on." He said as he began to walk into the caves. Merlin and I followed behind him.

"I just stepped on something." Merlin said.

"That was my foot." Arthur muttered sounding absolutely exhausted.

"Oh, sorry." Merlin said. Once we had travelled a short way into the cave I could hear growling into the distance.

"How much further?" I whispered.

"Shh" Arthur said as he stopped. I could see a black shape moving towards us and I was frozen. "They're coming this way."

We kneeled down behind a rock and watched as the shapes got closer. I could see the creature now. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. It looked like a giant mole. I felt my heart rate quicken as it got closer. It began to sniff Merlin's face, leaving some liquid substance wherever its nose touched. I held my breath as it continued. After a while it gave up and ran away. I sighed in relief as it left knowing how close we had come to being eaten alive.

* * *

><p>Hangus telling us that he was going to kill us had really darkened the mood. Gwen simply sat there in silence as we awaited our fate. While it was hard, I still had faith that either Arthur or Lancelot would get us out of this. I was curious of how he would execute us, if he managed to. I hoped that it was something quick although I had the suspicion that he would feed us to that creature.<p>

Lancelot had told us that he would be here before nightfall, something that filled me with hope. I was disappointed in Arthur. I figured that Aleya would have given him a piece of her mind until he relented and came after us. I wondered if Morgana had said something that had stopped them rescuing us. I still had a distrust for her, considering her role in the legends.

The light slowly drained from the room as the sun set. I hoped that Lancelot would come soon and I dreaded what the dawn would bring for Gwen and I.

* * *

><p>After making it out of the cave safely we found a creek to wash the crushed berries off of our faces. Honestly, I would not have cared to leave them on if it were not for the horrible smell that accompanied them.<p>

"Gauya berries work." Arthur said as though he were impressed with his idea. Merlin and I both glared at him.

"You didn't know if they worked?" I asked as I held back my anger.

"Not for sure." Arthur said.

"Now you tell me?" Merlin said. "Oh, what's that Wilderen eating? Never mind, it's just Merlin. Are you trying to get us killed?"

"I'm sorry, I should not have risked your life like that." Arthur said in a falsely apologetic voice. I smiled as I washed the berries off of my face.

"They do say love makes you do strange things." I said.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked as he looked down on me. I stood up and looked at him.

"You care a lot for Sam, that's why you're here." I said.

"Then why are you and Merlin here?"

"I'm her sister and you made Merlin come."

"That is true, you made me." Merlin confirmed.

"Why do you hide it?" I asked shaking my head.

"Because I can't just admit it." Arthur said, "When I do show affection for a woman my father only care is that it is for the good of the kingdom."

"Just admit it now, then. To us." I said.

"How can I admit that, I think about her all the time. Or that I care about her more than anyone. How can I admit that, I don't know what I'll do if any harm comes to her?" He said. I was shocked at this outpouring of emotions.

"Like that." I mumbled with a smile on my face.

"We don't even know if she's still alive." He said. That was when it hit me that she could very well be dead already. I could not allow myself to believe that.

"She is." Merlin said, "And we're going to find her." I was so thankful for him.

"Come one, we've got a long trek ahead of us." Arthur said and then walked off. He stopped and turned to face us. "Oh, and you two. If you tell anyone about this, I will make your lives a living hell."

"More than you already do?" Merlin asked.

"Good point." I said.

"Yeah." He said while squinting his eyes before he walked off in the opposite direction.

"We could talk about your feelings while we walk." Merlin said.

"Shut up Merlin." Arthur said without missing a beat.

* * *

><p>All we could do was wait for our fate. Wither Lancelot would be true to his word, or Hangus would kill us at sunrise. I tried not to linger on the thought of our impending demise, but it was certainly something that came to mind quite often.<p>

I heard someone walking down the corridor and I was filled with dread. What if Hangus had grown impatient? Gwen and I instinctively backed away from the door. A man came and opened the door and then stepped in. He pushed me down onto the bed and then dragged Gwen out the door.

"What are you doing?" I yelled as I stood up. The door slammed in my face and I grabbed the bars. "Where are you taking her?" I called as I watched Gwen fight against the man as he dragged her down the hall.

It had been two days since we were captured. I knew that Uther would not pay the ransom, that was no surprise. I guess I had just held out hope that Arthur would come and save us from this hell. That was, apparently, not the case. I hoped that Gwen did not crack as Hangus interrogated her, but I could not blame her if she did. It seemed as though all hope had been lost.

All we could do was await our fate. Either Lancelot would come for us, or Hangus would kill us at sunrise. I tried not to linger on it but it was very hard not to. I watched out the window as the sun sunk lower and lower in the sky. I heard footsteps echoing down the corridor. Gwen and I instinctively backed away from the door. A man came and opened it walking in and grabbing Gwen by the arm.


	32. Lancelot and Guinevere Part Three

**Lancelot and Guinevere**

**Part Three**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>"How much further is it?" I asked. Ever since leaving the creek we had been keeping up a steady pace, but I was still ready to get this over with. It was not so much a matter of being tired, or even being bored. It was the fact that it had taken us two days and we were still not there.<p>

"Are you getting tired?" Arthur asked.

"No, I was just curious seeing as Sam and Gwen have been sitting in a cell for all of this time while we've been walking what seems like an endless path." I said.

* * *

><p>It was pitch black outside when the men finally returned Gwen. She immediately fell onto the bed sobbing. If I ever got a moment alone with Hangus I would make him regret this. Provided I was armed and he was tied up or something.<p>

"What did he say?" I asked when Gwen stopped sobbing. I sat down next to her, "Gwen, whatever he said, Lancelot said that he would free us no matter what." I said.

"Hangus isn't going to wait much longer for Uther to pay the ransom and….." She was interrupted by the cell door opening.

"Lancelot!" I said excitedly as I stood.

"We haven't got a moment to lose." He said. Gwen stood up and took his outstretched hand. I followed behind them and we ran down the corridors. We finally made it to a tunnel when Lancelot stopped and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Follow this tunnel; it will lead you outside the castle walls. I will buy you as much time as I can." He said. There was a tone of nobility in his voice that reminded me of Arthur.

"I am not leaving you." Gwen said defiantly.

"You must." He said.

"No, I refuse to leave you here."

"I would die for you a hundred times over." Lancelot said, "Live for me or everything that I am has been for nothing."

He placed his hands on her face and then began to kiss her. It was like something that you would see in a movie. I had to admit that I felt extremely awkward, but I did not want to ruin the moment. I coughed subtly as I heard people running to us.

"As long as I live my love for you will not fade." Gwen said.

"Run. Don't stop running until you are well away from here." He said. I grabbed Gwen and pulled her down the tunnel. Freedom glowed brightly in the distance, but what was the cost of the freedom. We had made it pretty far down the tunnel when I heard men screaming. Gwen stopped and looked back.

"If we don't continue his sacrifice will be in vein." I said. Gwen heeded my words and then we continued down the tunnel. Lancelot was not supposed to die here.

* * *

><p>It was really dark in the forest when the trees opened p and we saw the castle. We all three knelt behind some bushes. I knew that Arthur was trying to figure out a way to storm the well-guarded castle with three people.<p>

"We'll have to scale the wall" He stated after a moment.

"Great, always did love rock climbing." I said.

"Maybe there is another way in." Merlin suggested.

"Why don't you go and knock on the gate? I'm sure if you ask nicely they'll just hand Gwen and Samantha over to you." Arthur said sarcastically before standing up and moving over to the castle. Merlin and I looked at each other and then followed after him. We were both questioning our ability to complete our task without falling.

"Alons-y." I said as Merlin and I stared up at the wall.

"What does that mean?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"It's French for _let's go_." I said looking over at him.

* * *

><p>I could hear the men rapidly gaining on us. We stood a chance once we escaped the castle, but we were extremely exposed in the cramped tunnel. Gwen stopped, looking as hopeless as I felt. I turned and stared at her.<p>

"We'll never outrun them." She said.

"You're right." I conceded. "That's why you're going to keep running and I am going to buy you time." She looked at me with contempt.

"What do you mean? I am not leaving you." She said.

"You have to, Gwen. They are going to kill you when they find out that you're not Morgana. I can talk my way out of it." I said. "Listen, the tunnel branches off that way. I'll just make sure that they follow me."

"That's a good plan." Gwen said, "But you're going to escape and I am going to stay."

"Gwen, we don't have time to argue."

"Then don't argue. They don't have orders for you which means they'll kill you on sight."

"Gwen…."

"Just go, Sam. Get Arthur and expose what they're doing here."

"Alright." I said after a moment of deliberation.

I ran down the tunnel and finally made it out into the open. I did not allow that to stop me. I continued running into the darkened forest until I finally collapsed. That was when I realized that I had not slept with since we had left Camelot. I was surprised that my exhaustion had not caught up with me sooner. I lay on the ground and let the darkness quickly take me, unable to bring myself to care about what might happen to me.

* * *

><p>We climbed and we climbed and we climbed the endless wall. I was actually surprised that I could do it, Merlin was doing better than I had expected as well. He was above me and then above him was Arthur who was having no difficulty whatsoever scaling the wall. Merlin's hand slipped and I flinched.<p>

"Please don't fall on me." I said, I was struggling to keep myself up.

"You really are completely useless, aren't you Merlin?" Arthur asked as he looked down.

"It's harder than it looks." Merlin said defensively.

"Even Aleya is making you look bad."

"Oi! We are behind enemy lines and you two are blogging!" I said and with that they both went silent and we continued to climb.

We made it in and after both Arthur and I pulled Merlin through the window we saw the two guards playing a game of dice instead of guarding.

"You two distract them." Arthur said, "I'll knock them out."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Merlin asked.

"Like this" Arthur said as he pushed both of us out in front of the two guards. The two guards stood up and drew their swords.

"What are you doing here?" One of them asked.

"Nothing." Merlin said as he pulled me behind him. "You know, interesting story that is. Isn't it, Aleya?"

"Yeah, it certainly is." I muttered. "We were out for a walk and we took a wrong turn and here we are."

"Do you know the way to the Vail of Denaria?" Merlin asked. The guards looked us over.

"Who are you?" One of them asked.

"I'm…I'm no one." Merlin said, "It's him you need to worry about."

Merlin motioned to Arthur who stood up behind the two men and knocked them both out. Merlin and Arthur made quick work of removing their chain mail and dividing it amongst themselves. Arthur was very specific about my having the sword, though. We came into the room unnoticed. My eyes were immediately drawn to the large cage in the center of the room. Inside of the cage was Guinevere and Lancelot. What was Lancelot doing here?

"Is that?" Merlin muttered to me.

"Looks like it." I said nodding .

There was no sign of Samantha and I was not sure whether I should be relieved or worried. They released a beast into the cage and I recognized it as a Wilderen, like the ones we had seen in the caves. Lancelot and Gwen were tied to them. Arthur began to scale the cage and was soon inside of it. He untied the two while still keeping an eye on the beast. He gave Lancelot a sword and they pushed Gwen behind them. It was clear that they were losing ground on the beast.

I looked over and saw a man readying a cross bow. I began to fight my way through the crowd and I grabbed onto the bow. The man retaliated to my attack by shoving me into the cage and then he aimed the crossbow at me.

"Aleya!" Merlin yelled. I was not leaning against the gate, completely defenseless against the man who would surely kill me. That was when a chandelier crashed down. Merlin grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the way.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled from within the cage. "Aleya come on!"

Merlin and I both began to scale the cage. One of the crowd grabbed Merlin's leg. I held out my hand but he would not take it for fear of pulling me down with him. I looked around the room for something I could do to help when I saw a sword leaning against the wall. I felt a surge of power go through me and the sword ran through the man. He released Merlin and we continued to climb.

We made it over and quickly moved over to the three people who were already trapped. Lancelot pulled me behind him and beside of Gwen while Merlin took his place on the other side, waiting to intervene if the need arose. By now a man had made it into the cage and was fighting the beast. I guessed by the fact that he was the best dressed of everyone that he was the leader.

"You run, I'll hold them off." Lancelot said.

"Not this time." Gwen said.

"We need to go." Arthur replied before grabbing Gwen's arm and pulling her down the corridor even though she struggled against him.

"Merlin?" I said as he stood next to Lancelot.

"I'll keep him safe, Ally." He said.

"I'm worried about you." I said, "No offense Lancelot."

"I'll keep him safe." Lancelot said with a wink.

I began to follow Arthur and Gwen down the tunnel . I soon heard yells and, although I knew that Merlin was more than capable of taking care of himself, I was still worried. I then heard someone running towards us. I was relieved when I saw that it was Merlin and Lancelot.

Once we had made it a good distance from the castle Arthur turned to Gwen, who, out in the moonlight, looked worn.

"Where is Samantha?" Arthur asked.

"She escaped." Gwen said.

"She can't have gotten far." Lancelot said.

"Was she okay?" I asked. Gwen nodded. We all followed Arthur into the forest. Our search was hindered by the fact that we could not yell, but Lancelot seemed to know the forest pretty well. We were not very deep when, by luck alone, we found Samantha lying on the ground. As soon as I saw her my stomach dropped. I ran towards her and knelt down beside her. She appeared to be fine, much to my relief.

"We need to get farther away." Arthur said as he gently picked her up.

* * *

><p>I woke up and it was warm for a change. I could hear birds chirping and the fire crackling. Then I remembered. I opened my eyes and quickly sat up nearly taking Aleya's head off in the process.<p>

"You're alright." She said as she placed her hands on my shoulders.

"You're here." I said.

"I thought those men were going to kill you." Aleya said as she hugged me.

"I'm fine. What took you so long?" I asked as I pushed away from her.

"For starters we rode for a day before we went into a cave and Merlin almost got eaten by a Wilderen and then we found you and Lancelot and Gwen and here we are." She explained. I raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Arthur?" I asked.

"I have something to tell you about that." Aleya said with a smile.

"Living hell, Aleya." Arthur said as he walked over.

"I'll tell you later." Aleya mumbled as she walked away.

"I see you survived." Arthur said.

"Thanks for that." I muttered.

"I'm just glad that your safe."

"Thank you." I said as I hugged him.

"For what?"

"For risking your life for Gwen and I." I said.

"About that." Arthur said.

"What?"

"You know that I am not one to express my feelings."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Well, I've been informed that I need to."

"Alright, I'm listening."

"Over the past couple of days I have been forced to confront the reality that I might have to live without you and I couldn't bear it."

"Arthur…."

"I'm not done. I…..I love you, Samantha."

"I know."

"What?"

"Sorry, Star Wars quote."

"What are you on about?"

" I love you too Arthur." I said before kissing him. I should never have doubted my prince.

* * *

><p>"I need to talk to you." Merlin said as he sat down beside of me. I had been dreading this conversation.<p>

"What about?" I asked.

"I saw what happened back there."

"I can't explain it."

"You don't have to."

"What?"

"The dragon told me, I had just hoped that it wouldn't be true."

"What do you mean?"

"I know what it feels like to have to keep a secret from everyone."

"I'm frightened of it, and I know I shouldn't be, but I am."

"I know how you feel."

"What do I do, then?"

"Would you like me to help you hone it?"

"I would like that very much." I said with a smile. He wrapped his arm around me and I leaned my head against him.

"I'm going to help you get through this." He said. After that we sat there in perfect silence. It would not be long before we would have to pretend that we did not care for each other. As soon as we reached the "safety" of Camelot, but then and there we were together and everything was perfect.


	33. Beauty and the Beast Part One

**Beauty and the Beast**

**Part One**

* * *

><p>I had noticed a slight change in Arthur since we had returned to Camelot. It had been two weeks since the ordeal and I was trying my best to put the memories behind me. Everything seemed to be going back to normal. During council meetings Arthur put on a show for his father, while Aleya and Merlin stood awkwardly close to each other while still far enough away to avoid suspicion.<p>

Over the past two weeks I had been working on my sword fighting with Arthur. It had taken a while to convince him to help me, but I gave him the argument that if I were put in a situation like that again I wanted to be able to fight my way out of it. After he heard that he promptly agreed.

After the initial shock of Aleya having magic I was coming to accept it. I was worried for her because she was living in the number one most dangerous place for a sorcerer to live. Merlin had been teaching her how to hone her abilities, which was good. I was glad that we were both gaining the ability to protect ourselves should the need arise.

As usual my mind wandered during the tedious council meetings that plagued my life in Camelot. It was my civic duty as a member of the court to attend them, but I was still opposed to the practice. Some of the topics of discussion were just too boring for me. Such topics included the rate at which potatoes were growing.

I did not realize that my torment was over until someone grabbed my arm and began to lead me out. Once we were out of the room Arthur began to speak.

"Day dreaming?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"Maybe." I said.

"The entire time you were glaring off into the distance."

"Well, I wasn't really as enamored by the rate that potatoes were growing as the others seemed to be."

"Geoffrey did seem pretty passionate about it."

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"Training with the knights after lunch, but until then I am free."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could go for a picnic."

"Sounds like fun." I said.

* * *

><p>"That was boring." Merlin said as he walked up behind me.<p>

"What, you didn't find the potatoes absolutely fascinating?" I said with sarcasm in my voice.

"You're right." He said with a coy smile, "It truly was an interesting topic."

"You're getting the whole sarcasm thing."

"I certainly do try, my lady."

"Ahh, Merlin, there you are." Gaius said as he rounded the corner in front of us. "It's Thursday." Merlin shrugged.

"Yay." He said dryly.

"What's Thursday?" I asked.

"Pot collecting day." He said.

"I'll leave you to your pots then." I said with a smile as I continued down the corridor.

* * *

><p>"Your entire life?" I asked. Arthur had been telling me about how he had been trained to kill since birth, something that I had not previously known about him.<p>

"I am the prince, I have to be able to defend myself."

"Well, I know that, but weren't you ever allowed to, you know, be a child?" I asked.

"Morgana and I used to sword fight together, does that count?" He asked.

"It's still fighting."

"Well, what did you do when you were a child?"

"Oh, you know. My mum and dad were very keen that I get an education so that ate up a lot of time."

"My father was the same. Geoffrey taught me how to read and write and then my father instructed me in military procedures."

"How old were you when you began to learn those military procedures?"

"Ten, but I began learning swordsmanship way before then."

"You're father wanted you to be a perfect warrior, didn't he?"

"It's just what's done."

"You just never had the chance to be a child."

"It's nearly midday." Arthur said after a moment's pause. "We should head back."

"Alright then, I'll race you." I said as I stood and took off running down the path.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Arthur laughing and following behind me. It took all of my concentration to not trip over my dress as I ran, but I had gotten somewhat used to wearing the stupid thing.

Our return journey was far quicker than the journey there. When we entered the castle Arthur was immediately swept back into the council chambers by his father. I had to admit, though, I really did like this new and improved _I'm going to express my feelings_ Arthur. He was beginning to grow on me.

* * *

><p>"Who is she?" I asked as I saw Samantha standing outside of the council chambers, obviously trying to listen in.<p>

"Who is who?" She asked.

"Where have you been?"

"With Arthur."

"Doing what with Arthur?"

"Talking and stuff. Who is who?"

"There's a woman in there that is supposedly of some house that was destroyed. Merlin couldn't say much before he had to leave." I said.

"Oh no, you have that look on your face."

"What look?"

"The _I'm suspicious_ look."

"You're insane. Not everything that happens in Camelot is some sort of threat."

"You have to admit, though, most of the things that have happened have been."

"It's terrible what she's been through." Merlin said as he opened the door and walked out. Samantha and I leaned against the wall and tried to act natural. Gaius followed Merlin out of the room.

"Terrible indeed." Gaius said.

"What has she been through?" I asked as I walked alongside Merlin.

"She is a member of the house of Trigor. It fell to invaders a few years ago and she alone escaped." Gaius said with a tone of suspicion in his voice.

"So, is it good that she escaped or some evil plot of evil?" Samantha asked.

"It's unbelievable." Merlin said.

"I have no cause for suspicion as of yet, Samantha." Gaius said.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled from down the hallway. "I've got a job for you." He said as he motioned for Merlin to follow him.

"Work, work, work." Merlin said as he walked towards Arthur and smiling back at us.

* * *

><p>"Her name is Lady Catrina, she is from the fallen house of Trigor, and she is the lone survivor thanks to her servant Jonas." I said as I walked into Aleya's chambers. I had managed to get Arthur to tell me what he knew about our mysterious guest.<p>

"Gaius seemed suspicious." She said.

"I actually remember him specifying that there was no reason to be suspicious."

"He was lying." She said. "Does Arthur suspect anything?"

"You've met Arthur, right?" I said, "He thought Sophia was a lovely girl and she turned out to be an evil smurf. I don't really think that his observational skills are up to par."

"You're right." She conceded.

"What are you going to do about your suspicions?" I asked as I flopped down on the bed.

"I'm going to be an adult and go speak with her." Aleya said as she stood up. "I'll let you know what I find out."

* * *

><p>I walked down the corridor, confident in my course of action. I was going to introduce myself to Lady Catrina and see if any red flags popped up. Perhaps my trepidation was unjustified. I made it to the guest chambers and held my hand up to the door to knock. I stopped, however, when I heard a conversation going on inside.<p>

It did not sound anything like what I had pictured her voice sounding like. It was gruff, yet too feminine to belong to Jonas. I stood up on a chair that was leaned against the wall and looked in through a grate in the wall. I saw who I assumed was Lady Catrina. She was hunched over and talking to a man who I could swear had a tail.

"Aleya?" I heard a voice say from behind me. I turned and saw Merlin staring up at me with curiosity in his eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked. I stepped down from the chair and looked at him.

"I was just…trying to get a better look at her." I said.

"Did you ever think about, I don't know, talking to her?" He asked with a smile.

"I was thinking about that." I muttered.

"Merlin, I need you to clean my chambers, they are in shambles." Arthur said as he walked down the hallway.

"He can't do anything on his own, can he?" I asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Merlin said. "He can't be a productive member of society."

"What me to help?"

"You don't have to."

"Come on, how bad could it be?" I asked. Little did I know that in the deepest corners of my nightmares I could not have come up with the horrors that I would face in that room.

* * *

><p>"What's your impression of Lady Catrina?" Arthur asked me as we walked through the courtyard.<p>

"I haven't met her. Why do you ask?"

"My father was…..I don't know how to say it." Arthur said and I was sure that I was mistaken in his meaning.

"Flirting?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah, he was 'flirting' with her during dinner last night." He said. I could not control my laughter. My laughter was met with a stare.

"Your father is many things, Arthur, but I had no idea that he was a flirt."

"He is the King of Camelot. He cannot afford to."

"So you get to play the role of overbearing father to him?"

"Well, no."

"Just let him be. I am sure that he knows what he's doing."

"My father is a rich and powerful man, she could be after that."

"Does he seem happy?"

"Yes."

"Then let it be." I said. If Uther could get some happiness in his life maybe he would not be such a brutal man.

* * *

><p>"How in the world does Arthur make such a mess of his rooms?" I asked as Merlin and I walked back to his chambers. I did not manage to make such a mess of my room when I was five, and Arthur was a grown man. I felt genuine sympathy for Merlin since he had to deal with that on a daily basis.<p>

"It's one of the many mysteries of the world." Merlin said.

"The world may never know." I said. Merlin opened the door to the physician's chambers and was immediately ambushed by Gaius.

"Here, Merlin, take this to Lady Catrina." He said as he handed Merlin a vile. Merlin looked at the smalle object.

"What is it?" He asked.

"She will know."

"But what is it?" Merlin persisted.

"Just give it to her." Gaius said with a look on his face that made me understand that there was something more behind this simple errand.

"We'll take it to her, Gaius." I said as I took the vile from Merlin's hand and started out the door.

"Gaius is hiding something." Merlin said when we got out of earshot.

"The question is, what? And what the hell is this yellow stuff?" I said as I examined the vile.

When we made it to the door I handed Merlin the vile and he knocked. I waited out of eyesight as he went in and then I pressed my ear against the door and listened. I could not hear much, but I did hear someone walking towards the door. I moved away and Merlin stepped out, vile still in hand.

"She wouldn't take it." Merlin said.

"What?" I asked.

"She didn't want it." Merlin said.

"But Gaius said that she would know what it was." I said.

"She had no clue what it was." Merlin said before looking around and then whispering, "What if that's not really Catrina?"

"So Gaius was simply testing her."

"That's what it looks like." One thing was certain, we had to figure this one out before she managed to get too close to Uther.

* * *

><p>After a long walk in the moonlight around the castle Arthur and I were back at my chambers. I looked down at the ground and then back up at him.<p>

"I had a nice time." I said. He smiled.

"As did I." He muttered.

"Listen, don't worry about your father. I am sure that he is smart enough to know Catrina's true intentions." I said. He took my hand.

"What would I do without your council?"

"Crash and burn." I said with a smile. He kissed my hand.

"I must bid you good night, my lady." He said.

"Until tomorrow, my lord." I said with a curtsy. He turned down the hallway and left me alone to my thoughts. Surely Uther was smart enough to realize when he was in trouble.

* * *

><p>"I treated Catrina as a child." Gaius explained. We had returned the unwanted vile to the physician in the hope that he could give us answers.<p>

"She said that she was in perfect health." Merlin said.

"She suffered from a rare bone disease affecting her joints. She often had trouble walking, especially after a long ride." Gaius said.

"She seemed to be walking fine to me." I said.

"So, she should have recognized the tonic?" Merlin asked.

"My tonics were the only thing that gave her relief." Gaius said.

"Could she have been cured?"

"The condition was incurable." Gaius said.

"So, that means that this is not the real Lady Catrina." Merlin said.

"Will Uther trust the accusation?" I asked looking at Gaius.

"We can only hope." He said.

* * *

><p>Uther and Catrina were growing steadily closer and it was driving Arthur insane. I found his ranting on the matter rather amusing. There was a knock on the door and before I could act the door flew open and Aleya ran in.<p>

"You know, if you're just going to come in any way it defeat the point of knocking." I said. Aleya pulled a chair over and sat next to me.

"I have things to tell you." She said.

"Go on." I said, immediately intrigued. Aleya was not much for gossiping so when she did you ought to listen. I, on the other hand, had really enjoyed hearing from Gwen all of the drama that went on in the castle. The women in this time were not nearly as reserved as the history books would have you to believe.

For example, Gwen had recently told me about a girl named Lillian who worked in the kitchens and was going out with a man name Joseph who was a guard. Joseph also happened to be the best friend of her former love, Alexander. That had, no doubt, caused tension between the two friends.

"You know Lady Catrina?" She said.

"No, never heard of her." I said, my voice laced with sarcasm. Aleya rolled her eyes.

"Gaius thinks that she's not really Lady Catrina." Aleya said. My eyes must have went wide because she looked at me questioningly.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"She's dating Uther, that's what's wrong."

"What?"

"Arthur told me that the other night at dinner she spent the entire dinner staring at her."

"This is bad."

"Why does Gaius think that she's an imposter?"

"He said that when she was a child she suffered from some disease, long story short Gaius would give her a tonic for it, but when Merlin took it to her she wouldn't take it. She said she was in perfect health."

"So, if that's not really her, than who is it?"

"And what does she want?"

"She must want something pretty bad to be willing to date Uther for it."


	34. Beauty and the Beast Part Two

**Beauty and the Beast**

**Part Two**

* * *

><p>I was asleep, and I was actually sleeping very well. No nightmares to speak of, then I heard something shatter. I sat up quickly and saw Merlin looking out the window.<p>

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"She's a troll." He said in shock.

"Who's a troll?" I asked.

"Lady Catrina." He muttered as though he had just seen much more than he wanted to. "She's going somewhere." He said as he ran out the door.

I debated for a moment as to whether or not I should go with him. Finally I got out of bed, in my nightgown, might I add, pulled my cloak off of the table and followed him.

It took a moment for us to catch up to her, but when we did I could clearly tell that she was not human. Her skin was brown, her hair was grey and thin, and she was much shorter than Lady Catrina. We followed behind her and she led us deep into the castle. As we walked we were assaulted by a smell that resembled rotting fruit.

"We must be getting close." I whispered as I put my hand over my nose to try to stop the smell. Merlin started coughing but quickly stopped.

We continued on our voyages into the bowels of Camelot until we reached the end of the hallway. Merlin and I both peeked around the corner and saw what was, apparently, her evil lair. She started to turn back around and I pulled Merlin back around the corner and we ran out of the corridors.

Gaius was surprised when we walked into his chambers, both of us panting and looking as though we had seen a ghost.

"What's happened?" He asked.

"She's a bloody troll!" I said.

"Who is?" Gaius asked.

"Lady Catrina is a troll." Merlin said.

"Trolls are seldom seen." Gaius said as he walked over to a shelf and pulled down a book. "They despise all other life forms, especially humans. They prefer to lurk in their caves and feast on rotten fruit."

"Yeah, she has a secret lair under Camelot." I said as the smell came back to me.

"Is Jonas a troll too?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know what manner of creature he is." Gaius said.

"Wait, if they like their caves so much, why is she in Camelot?" I asked as I looked down at the book that Gaius had opened to a page that depicted the creature that we had seen.

"Greed." Gaius said, "If Lady Catrina is like the rest of her kind then she lusts after wealth and power."

"Uther's wealth and power." Merlin said.

"We've reached the point of no return." Gaius said as he stood up.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Uther has to be told." Gaius muttered as though he dreaded his task.

"You're going to tell Uther that his new lady friend is a troll?" Merlin asked as he raised his eyebrow.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do." Gaius said.

"Good luck." I said.

"Something tells me I'm going to need it." Gaius said before walking out of the room.

* * *

><p>"She's a troll?" I asked Aleya as she paced around the room. I had to admit that I found the idea that Uther had fallen for a troll to be absolutely hilarious.<p>

"I saw her and it was disgusting and she smelled and I hated every minute of it." She said as she sat down beside of me.

"So, she wants to get to Uther so that she can have Camelot?" I asked. Aleya nodded. "In that case, I need to tell Arthur."

"You can't." She said.

"Why the hell not?" I asked.

"Gaius went to Uther last night and it did not go well." She said.

"Arthur was already uneasy about Uther growing close to her, I think he'll be happy to hear that she's a troll."

"Will you just wait until morning?"

"Alright, but I'm telling him first thing tomorrow."

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Before Samantha could go to Arthur the next morning, we found ourselves being called into the council chambers. Uther had some sort of announcement to make and I dreaded what it was. I walked in and stood next to Samantha who merely glared at me as though she blamed me for whatever this announcement would be.<p>

Merlin and Gwen walked in and Merlin stood an awkwardly far distance away from me. We still had to be very secretive about our relationship. The only people that really knew were Samantha, Gwen, and Gaius, but Arthur was obviously growing suspicious.

The doors at the end of the room opened and Uther walked with Catrina. They were holding hands and smiling, something which made Arthur roll his eyes in a highly exaggerated fashion. I felt dread growing within me as Uther began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming." Uther began. With this first sentence I was already confused. Uther was never this polite during council meetings. "You're, no doubt, wondering why I have gathered you all here today." He was smiling, which was another indicator that something was wrong. "Though we live in dark times, today, I bring you light."

I looked over to Merlin, who never looked away from Catrina. Samantha looked red in the face as she listened to Uther. I had definitely told her wrong when I convinced her to wait until morning to go to Arthur.

"And love." He began again. "It brings me great pleasure to inform you that the houses of Trigor and Pendragon are to be united in the closest bond of all."

There was silence in the room, so much that you could hear a pin drop. Arthur had looked up from the floor, which he had been staring at for the past several minutes. I felt my stomach drop as the king began to speak again.

"I am to marry Lady Catrina of Trigor." He said. I looked over to Merlin who looked at me. I looked back at Uther just in time to see Lady Catrina whisper something in his ear. As she did I could have sworn that I saw the pendant around his neck glow. "I am to marry Lady Catrina, tomorrow."

Samantha punched me on the arm as Merlin moved behind one of the pillars. Uther began to speak again but I listened to Merlin as he quietly incanted a spell. I watched as Catrina's face dropped and I could not help but smile a bit. Her face began to move unnaturally, but before Merlin could finish she led Uther out of the room. I looked over my shoulder and saw Merlin's defeated look on his face.

* * *

><p>"Just wait until morning." I said in an attempt to impersonate Aleya's tone of voice. "You really do give crappy advice, you know that?"<p>

"She must have Uther under some kind of spell." Aleya said.

"Aleya, tomorrow we'll have a disgusting troll for a queen!" I said not even trying to hid my anger and frustration.

"Merlin almost exposed her." Aleya said.

"Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades." I said.

"But if he were able to do it during the ceremony then Uther will see what she is." Aleya said.

"If he wasn't able to do it today, what makes you think he'll be able to do it tomorrow?" I asked.

"I believe in him." She said.

"I'm going to go and talk to Arthur." I said after a moment, "Maybe it's not too late for him to talk Uther out of this."

* * *

><p>I watched as Samantha walked away and I was filled with guilt. I decided that I needed to talk to Merlin about Uther's current predicament. As I walked down the corridor I heard someone sobbing. Upon further investigation I realized that it was Catrina's servant Jonas. I debated for a moment as to whether or not I should approach him, I decided that if there was something wrong I wanted to help.<p>

"What's the matter?" I asked as I knelt down in front of him. He looked at me and then back down at his hands. "I won't tell anyone." I said.

"I am a slave." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"My mistress is not as she seems." He said and then looked me in the eyes for the first time, "But you know as much."

"What did she do to you?"

"She is a cruel and wicked creature. She keeps me in chains." He said as he pulled back his sleeves to reveal wounds on his wrists.

"Why is she doing this?"

"She twists my mind, as she is twisting the mind of your king." He said.

"Listen, let me take you to Gaius. He can help you." I said.

"There isn't time, you must listen to me."

"I'm all ears."

"I can help you."

"How?"

"Below the castle, where she sleeps, she keeps her potions there."

"What are these potions for?"

"It is the magic that turns her from beast to beauty, she must take them every night or she will remain a beast."

"So, if she doesn't take the potion she will remain a troll?" He didn't speak he simply nodded nervously. "Thank you for telling me this."

"I must return to my mistress." He said as he stood up and looked around anxiously.

"Thank you, Jonas." I said as he walked away.

* * *

><p>When I walked into Arthur's chambers he was fiddling with his sword. I sat down in the chair across from him and watched him for a moment.<p>

"I've got something to tell you and it's not going to be easy for you to hear." I said.

"I certainly don't like the sound of that." He said as he sat the sword down on the table and looked at me.

"It's about Lady Catrina." I said.

"What is it?"

"She's a troll."

"A what?"

"A troll."

"I'm not overly fond of her, but she's not that bad."

"I mean it in a literal sense." I said, "As in, she's a big stinking troll."

"I see what you're trying to do."

"You do?"

"You need to understand that it's not about what makes me happy, it's about what makes my father happy. I realized today that she makes my father happy."

"You're an idiot."

"I don't understand."

"Your father isn't going to be so damn happy when he discovers that his wife is a troll."

"That's enough." He said as he stood up.

"Do you not understand what I'm saying?" I said as I stood up and looked him in the eyes.

"She's not a troll, Samantha."

"Tomorrow she'll become your new step mum and then Queen and then Camelot will be hers."

"I think that you need some rest." He said as he placed his hands on my shoulders and began to lead me out of the room.

"I do not need rest." I said, "You need to listen to me and stop being a…dollop head."

"A dollop head?" He asked, "Have you been around Merlin?"

"Yes, and the word suits you perfectly."

"I just want my father to be happy."

"Just give me the benefit of the doubt here, talk to him."

"I can't, Sam, I just can't stand between him and happiness."

"Well, trolls aren't happy creatures!" I yelled as I walked down the hallway.

* * *

><p>I entered the door to Merlin's chambers and heard voices. Merlin sounded upset because he was not able to expose Catrina during the meeting.<p>

"Merlin?" I said. He looked up. "I need your help."

"What is it?" He asked as he stood up.

"I know how to expose Lady Catrina." I muttered.

"How?" Gaius asked with the usual level of suspicion in his voice.

"I was walking down the hall when I ran into Jonas, he said that the magic that makes her human is through a potion." I said.

"So, if we got the potions she wouldn't be able to fool Uther?" Merlin said sounding hopeful.

"He said that she keeps them in the room under the castle where she sleeps." I said.

"And you believe him?" Gaius said with a raised eyebrow.

"He showed me wounds he had on his wrists from where she chains him up." I said, "He seemed like he was telling the truth."

"It could be a trap." Gaius said as he looked over at Merlin.

"If I can't expose her using magic then this is all we have." He said.

"Be careful, you two." Gaius said.

"We always are, Gaius." I said with a smile as Merlin and I left the physicians chambers.

Merlin and I followed the same path that we had the night we had first discovered Catrina's true nature. It did not take us long to reach the smell room in which the troll slept. The smell was still nearly enough to knock someone over. Merlin handed me the torch that he had lit before he began to rummage through the filth.

"You won't find anything in there." A voice said from behind us. I turned and saw the troll. "You may possess magic, wretch, but you are no match for me." She said.

Merlin and I both ran towards her. I readied the torch to be used as a weapon if needed. The troll held up her hand and rocks fell from the ceiling. Merlin and I both stopped and watched as the outside world was sealed off. With her final blast we were both thrown to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked as he stood.

"I should have never listened to him." I said as I walked over to the stones. I should have known that there was no way that he was telling the truth.

"It was as good a shot as any." He said as he walked to the rocks.

He held out his hand and began to speak words in the Old Religion that I did not recognize. I had learned some minor spells, but nothing that could compare to that. When he had finished speaking a shock wave was sent flying towards the rock wall. It was no good, however, the rocks stood fast. Since I had found out that I had magic I had started paying attention more to the spells Merlin used so I had gotten better at deciphering the words.

"Icabechay thenasteno" He repeated several times.

Merlin had been trying to move the rocks for what seemed like hours when he finally gave up and sat down next to me.

"Gaius knows that we're down here." I said, "He'll come after us."

"I should be able to move the rocks." He said, sounding deflated.

"Alright." I said as I stood up.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

I stood in front of the newly formed wall and held out my hand. I knew that my attempt at moving the rocks would probably be hopeless, but I was feeling pretty useless just watching.

"Icabechay thenasteno." I said. I felt power surge through me, but to no avail.

"Wait a second." Merlin said as he stood up.

* * *

><p>The morning of the wedding was now here so I dawned my best dress, did my hair and then went to Gaius's chambers. I had not seen Aleya since yesterday evening and I had grown worried. I pecked on the door of Gaius's and he opened the door. I immediately noticed the worried look on his face.<p>

"Nothing?" I asked knowing that he would understand my meaning.

"I fear something has deterred them." He said. "Now come, it's nearly time for the wedding."

"Gaius, I don't want to watch Uther get hitched while Merlin and Aleya could have gotten eaten by a troll." I said.

"Do you think they're hurt?" I asked, allowing my mind to drift to the worst.

"Merlin wouldn't have let anything happen to her, Samantha." He said.

* * *

><p>"What?" I asked, suddenly growing enthusiastic that Merlin may have thought of a way to get us out of this stinking cave.<p>

"We'll do it together." He said.

"That is the cheesiest thing that you have ever said to me." I said.

"It might work, though." Merlin said with a smile.

"Alright." I said.

"Icabechay thenasteno." We said in unison. A shockwave was sent at the wall and the stones were knocked away, but we were flung backwards.

"It worked!" He exclaimed as he stood up.

"Come on then, we have a wedding to crash." I said as we ran out of the smelly cave. I could not wait to get outside and breathe fresh air again.

* * *

><p>Gaius and I walked to the throne room and saw all of the courtiers had turned up in best dress for the royal wedding. I tried to hide my disgust at the occasion. As we took our place in the crowd Arthur and Uther walked up the aisle. I heard the trumpets sound and the doors open and then Catrina walked past us.<p>

"How are we going to stop it?" I whispered to Gaius.

"We're not going to do anything." He said, "It would be very unwise for us to intervene."

"So we just stand here and watch?" I asked.

"That's exactly what we're going to do."

"Long live the queen." I muttered under my breath.

Geoffrey began the ceremony as soon as Catrina made it to the front of the room. Uther and her stared at each other longingly. It made me sort of sick. I kept looking over my shoulder, waiting for Aleya and Merlin to burst in and stop the ceremony. There was no such luck, however.

"Are there any objections?" Geoffrey asked. I was tempted to speak up, but I knew that Gaius was right. I would hate to bear the consequences if I did.

* * *

><p>We made it into the castle and out into the fresh air. As we entered the hallway outside of the throne room we were stopped by Jonas. I could hear the ceremony going on from within the room.<p>

"Merlin, Aleya, may I help you?" He asked, "Are you lost?"

"Step aside, Jonas." Merlin said as he took a step towards him.

"The King's wedding is by invitation only." He said.

"I said get out of the way." Merlin said. Jonas grabbed Merlin by his jacket.

"Sorry, but I regret to say that you are not invited." He said as he flung Merlin to the side.

"He may not be, but I am." I said as I walked towards Jonas.

As soon as I walked past him he grabbed me by my hair, which really hurt, and flung me backwards and down next to Merlin who stood up and ran towards him. Merlin's plan was not well thought out, however, because he was flipped in the air and slammed on the ground. I stood up as Jonas slammed Merlin against the wall.

"Leave my mistress alone!" He yelled.

I grabbed a vase off of one of the tables and smashed it over Jonas's head. He stood there for a moment before falling to the ground and allowing Merlin to fall as well. I quickly helped Merlin stand up and we ran into the throne room.

* * *

><p>"I now pronounce you to be, husband and wife." Geoffrey said.<p>

My heart sank as they leaned into kiss. I heard the doors open. I looked back and saw a tired and dirty looking Merlin and Aleya standing in the aisle. They both looked defeated and I understood why. Uther had just married a troll meaning that Camelot was in more danger than it ever had been and they did not even know it.


	35. Beauty and the Beast Part Three

**Beauty and the Beast**

**Part Three**

* * *

><p>Catrina was a model citizen after the wedding. She had done nothing evil or out of the ordinary and everything seemed normal. I knew that it was just a matter of waiting for something happen, though. I had tried to put it from my mind, even though Merlin and Samantha were still nervous about it.<p>

Soon Catrina would be crowned Queen of Camelot and then she would have no need for Uther or Arthur. That was an eventuality that we would have to face when we got there. Regardless of whatever problems arose in Camelot, Merlin was still Arthur's servant, so he still had duties to perform. Early into our relationship I had discovered that Merlin was absolutely rubbish at putting sheets on a bed so I was helping him.

"Watch." I commanded as I demonstrated how to replace the sheets. "You take it and fold it under, it's really not that hard."

"How did I get along without you?" He said with a smile.

"I have absolutely no idea." I said. At that moment the door opened and Arthur stormed in. He did not seem fazed by the fact that I was in here.

"You two need to get out of Camelot, now." He said.

"Why?" Merlin asked.

"The king has ordered me to arrest you." He said.

"What for?" I asked.

"Catrina has accused you two of stealing her seal." Arthur replied. I looked at Merlin who was shaking his head.

"We didn't." He sia.d

"I don't want to know, and you haven't got time to explain." Arthur said, "If you value your lives you'll leave Camelot right now."

"She's a troll." I said.

"I've already gotten this speech from Samantha and I don't need it from you." He said, "Now go!" He prompted.

* * *

><p>"You need to listen to me, Arthur." I said as I followed him down the hallway. "She's a troll."<p>

"Samantha, what proof have you got?" Arthur asked.

"You know that Merlin and Aleya would never steal from her." I said.

"The accusation still stands." He said.

"She's already tried to kill them once." I said as I stopped. He turned and looked at me.

"What do you mean? When?" He asked.

"The reason they weren't at the wedding was because they went to try to expose Catrina for what she really is. Aleya said that she caused the rock fall and trapped them in one of the tunnels." I explained.

"She is the queen." He said after pausing for a moment. "I cannot undermine her and accuse her of being a troll."

"You could try." I said. He shook his head and continued down the corridor. He could be so oblivious sometimes.

* * *

><p>Merlin and I made it out of the castle without difficulty. We kept going in an attempt to give anyone who might search for us a trail to follow. We headed for the border and when we were far enough away Merlin made a fire.<p>

"Do you think that she's going to kill Uther?" I asked as we sat there.

"If she wants Camelot, that's her only option." Merlin said. "I don't know how to stop her."

"We just have to find a way to expose her, then this problem will take care of itself." I said.

"I can't do it, Aleya. I tried."

"There has to be a way, we just have to find it."

"We should head back." He said as he stood up.

* * *

><p>"How can you not see that she is in his head?" I asked once Arthur had finished speaking. He had just finished explaining that Uther had ordered him to pose a new tax on the people. It was so obvious that this was Catrina's doing.<p>

"I admit that this is a bit odd." He said.

"Arthur, your father's fashion sense is a bit odd, this is completely insane. Most of the people are barely able to make it on what they have."

"And what would you have me to do?" He asked.

"Stand up to her. Your father trusts you more than anyone."

"I tried, my father's mind is closed."

"Do you think that she has him under some sort of spell?"

"I don't know."

"I'm going to go talk to Gaius, he'll know what to do." I said as I walked off.

* * *

><p>It was very late when we made it back into Camelot. The guards were easy to avoid, as usual. Gaius had already prepared a place for us to hide. It was not, however, the most comfortable of accommodations. This hiding place was two grain barrels that Gaius had cleaned out. It seemed like forever before I heard the tap on the side that meant it was safe to come out.<p>

"Well, that was comfortable." Merlin said.

"Very much so." I said as I stretched out my cramped back.

"The guards picked up on the trail you left." Gaius said. "It won't fool them for long."

"We better get busy." Merlin said.

"Remember that you are still wanted, they will be searching for you." Gaius warned as Merlin and I ran out the door. Merlin went to spy on Catrina while I went to find Samantha. By some stroke of luck I did not run across any guards while walking through the castle.

* * *

><p>I was on my way to go and speak with Gaius about how we could expose Catrina without the aid of our favorite warlock when someone pulled me into a closet.<p>

"Aleya, what the hell are you doing in Camelot?" I asked.

"Saving it." She mumbled.

"Why do you have grain in your hair?" I asked as I noticed the yellow specks that littered her messy hair.

"I've been hiding barrel for hours because of Catrina's lie." She said.

"She's got Uther under a spell." I said.

"Why do you think that?" She asked.

"He's completely ignoring Arthur's judgment. You know as well as I do that Uther trusts Arthur more than anyone."

"The amulet."

"What?"

"When Uther announced that he was going to marry Catrina he was wearing an amulet and I thought that it was glowing."

"That's great and all, but how are you going to expose her?"

"Merlin went to try and find out where she keeps her potions."

"So, if you take them she'll remain a troll?"

"Exactly. Listen, can you go to Gaius and see if you can find anything regarding an amulet like that?"

"Yeah, sure." I said. She made for the door. "Be safe Aleya, Uther will have your head if he finds you." She nodded and ran out the door.

* * *

><p>It was dark out by the time that it was safe for us to go and attempt to steal the potions from Catrina's chambers. Merlin went in and I waited at the door for him. He walked over to the cabinet. Jonas was lying on the bed, asleep. He was snoring loud enough to wake the dead.<p>

Merlin held his hand out and incanted a spell, _Tospringe_, I would have to remember that one. The door opened with a pop and Jonas began to mutter something in his sleep. Merlin took the jar from the cabinet and began to quietly move back towards the door.

* * *

><p>Gaius and I waited for Aleya and Merlin to return with the potion. I had asked him about the amulet and he had said that it was entirely possible that that was what she was using to control Uther's mind. Merlin and Aleya stormed in and Merlin handed Gaius the potion. Gaius set to work on it.<p>

"Can I just say, we now know for certain that Jonas has a tail?" Aleya said.

"What brand of crazy is he?" I asked.

"No idea." Merlin muttered.

"This must be potent to make Catrina physically change like that." Gaius said.

"What if you made a potion that smelled and tasted just like that?" I asked.

"Then she would think that she was drinking the real deal and be exposed." Aleya said with a smile, "Sam, you're going dark side."

"Well, thank you." I said with a bow.

"I suppose I could." Gaius said as he ran through the variables in his head.

"We would have to make the switch before morning." Merlin said.

"It appears that it's going to be a long night." Gaius aid.

"Yay!" Aleya said with false enthusiasm. I wondered when the last time her or Merlin had gotten any sleep.

* * *

><p>Gaius was very right in his statement that it would be a long night. Considering that neither Samantha or I could do anything to help, we just sat there and watched as Gaius mixed potions. He yawned occasionally, but that was the only time when he showed his exhaustion.<p>

Throughout the night I would dose occasionally until Samantha nudged my arm and jarred me back into the cold reality of consciousness. The sun was rising when Gaius finally had two potions that looked and smelled the same.

"What's in it?" Merlin asked as though he dreaded the answer.

"Nothing too potent, rat's guts, toad's paste." He said.

"What's toad's paste?" Samantha asked.

"You take two toads, grind them up." Gaius explained.

"Sorry I asked." She said with a smile.

"Horse dung, crushed sheep's eyeball."

"Wonderful." I muttered.

"Pond scum, three wolf spiders, and, what potion isn't complete without a dash of sheep's brain." He said.

"I mean, honestly, who makes a potion without sheep's brain?" Samantha asked. This earned her a look from Gaius.

"That sounds absolutely delicious, we should take it to her." Merlin said.

"We need to taste it first." Gaius said.

"What?" Merlin said with a disgusted expression on his face.

"You're going to taste it." Gaius said.

"No way." Merlin said as he flinched away from Gaius who was shoving the potion towards his face.

"It's completely harmless." Gaius said.

"Um…..no." Merlin said.

"Come on Merlin, take one for the team." Samantha said looking far happier than she should have.

He debated with himself for a moment before he reluctantly stuck his finger in the foul looking potion. The moment that he placed his finger on his tongue he began to cough. I put my hand on his back in a comforting manner.

"That's disgusting." He said when the coughing subsided.

"To you, but not to a troll." Gaius said.

"I can't believe you let me put that in my mouth." Merlin said.

"Now try the original." Gaius said as he held up the original potion.

"It won't make him turn into a troll or anything, will it?" I asked.

"Just be sure to spit it out." Gaius said. Merlin did the same thing again and began to cough as he spit it out.

"Does it taste roughly the same?" Gaius asked.

"Yes, it's horrible." Merlin said.

"Are you sure? If there's too big of a difference Catrina will notice." Gaius said.

"It tastes exactly the same." Merlin said, the disgust apparent in his voice.

"Let's hope that she thinks so too." Samantha said.

* * *

><p>After seeing Merlin and Aleya off to complete their task of switching the potions I ran into Arthur. He suggested that he and I go on a walk so I agreed. Not necessarily because I thought it was a good idea to leave the Camelot, but I wanted Arthur as far away from Catrina as I could get him.<p>

As we walked through the lower town I could tell that there was something on his mind. He stopped short when he saw to guards taking money, no doubt due to this tax that Uther had imposed, from a man. He began to approach them.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"He refuses to pay the king's tax." The guard said.

"You ask for too much, I have given all that I can." The man in question said.

"It's not enough." The other guard said as he tightened his grip.

"Let me see." Arthur commanded as he held out his hand. The guard obeyed and placed the pouch of money into Arthur's hand. Arthur looked back at the man, who looked terrified.

"Release him." He said. When the guards obeyed he tossed the pouch to the man. "Give them back their money, all of them." He commanded. As cheering erupted he pulled me along.

"You did the right thing." I said as we walked along.

"There's going to be hell to pay for that." He said. "My father won't be pleased."

"Your father has lost sight of what the people need." I said, "Lucky for them you have not."

"I need to go and speak with him, will you be alright?" He asked.

"Of course." I said, he knelt down and kissed my cheek before running off. I was proud of Arthur, as Dumbledore said, 'It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.' Arthur was on the right path for once.

* * *

><p>Merlin and I snuck down the corridor and to Catrina's chambers. Merlin stood up on the ledge and looked into the grate to make sure that it was safe to enter.<p>

"There's no one there." He said.

He walked into the room and I followed close behind him. He incanted the same spell as before and the cabinet popped open and he placed the potion inside of it. I heard footsteps coming from outside. I ran over to the wardrobe and pulled the door open and motioned for him to come in.

"Really?" He whispered.

"You got another option?" I asked.

He complied and we slid in and pulled the door shut. I could see through the door a little bit, just enough to see Jonas walk in and stumble over to the table. I looked over to the cabinet and saw that it was open. I elbowed Merlin and motioned for the cabinet. Merlin whispered a spell under his breath and the door closed with a click. Jonas jumped and I held my breath as he walked over to the cabinet. Luckily he did not notice us.

* * *

><p>I had walked slowly back to the castle slowly. I decided to see if Arthur had returned to his chambers so I knocked on the door. When there was no answer I walked in. He looked upset as he sat at the table with his hand on his chin.<p>

"What happened?" I asked, "What did your father say?"

* * *

><p>Merlin and I stayed, waiting, in the wardrobe. It would have been very uncomfortable for one person to hid in here for very long, much less two. Jonas just sat there, I prayed that he would leave soon. He stood up and began to walk towards the door when Catrina walked in.<p>

"Jonas." She said in her raspy troll voice. "It's time for my potion." I smiled at Merlin as Jonas went to fetch the potion.

"Are your plans progressing as you'd hoped?" He asked as he opened the door on the cabinet.

"Yes, and not a moment too soon." She said as Jonas handed her the potion.

She looked it over and then sniffed it. She looked as though she was going to drink it when she turned towards the wardrobe. I stiffened as she began to walk towards us. She stopped and began to look in the mirror.

"I must admit, though." She began. "That crown will look rather fetching. All that gold, and all them lovely jewels."

She took the lid off of the potion and downed it in one gulp. Merlin flinched as she did so. She turned and faced Jonas with a smile.

"Now, would you care to accompany your queen?" She asked in her fake voice as she held her hand out to Jonas. They walked out of the room. After a moment Merlin opened the door and we stepped out.

"That may have been worse than the grain barrel." I said.

"I can't believe that she was able to drink that." He said.

* * *

><p>"The people will be thankful to you." I said as I sat down next to Arthur.<p>

"My father is still going to impose the task." Arthur said.

"Is there nothing you can do to change his mind?" I aske.d

"He won't be swayed, he cannot stand the sight of me."

"I'm sure that he's angry, but you're still his son. Regardless of the tax, the people know that you tried and will not forget that." I said. I could hear the hurt in his voice.

"What if he's right?" He asked, "One day I will be King of Camelot, what if I cannot be a friend to the people as well as their ruler?"

"That's not true. You will prove him wrong when you become king." I said, "The difference between you and your father is, you care for your people more than you do for yourself. That is your strength." There was a knock at the door and Leon stuck his head in.

"Your father has sent for you." He said. Leon led Arthur and I into the council chambers where all of the knights had been assembled. Catrina and Uther sat at the front of the room. I was repulsed by the sight of her.

"Father." Arthur said as he walked towards Uther. I stood next to Gaius, who looked worried.

"I'm relaxing your duties." Uther said, "I'm revoking your title."

"What?" Arthur said in shock.

"We live in dangerous times, I cannot allow you to undermine my authority." He said.

"You have always welcomed my council in the past." Arthur said in an attempt to defend himself.

"You stood against me for all the people to see." Uther said.

"I'm sorry, any future grievance I have will be held in private." Arthur said. A smile went across Catrina's face.

"It's too late for that." Uther said coldly.

"Father, this is…." Arthur said but he was interrupted.

"You are to be disinherited." He said, "With immediate effect. You are no longer Crowned Prince of Camelot." He finished.

"Sire, Arthur is your son and natural heir." Gaius said as he took a step forward.

"Gaius." Arthur said as he held his hand up. He took a step closer to Uther, "You've always taught me to be true to my heart and that's all I've ever tried to do. To be the man you wanted me to be, to be a man you were proud to call your son."

"My decision is final." Uther said. Arthur walked out of the council chambers looking defeated. I glared at Uther and then followed Arthur out. This was all part of her plan.


	36. Beauty and the Beast Part Four

**Beauty and the Beast**

**Part Four**

**(Final)**

* * *

><p>I immediately knew that there was something wrong when Merlin and I entered the physician's chambers.<p>

"We did it!" Merlin exclaimed. "She took the potion." There was a tone of pride in his voice that was rare to hear.

"What's wrong?" I asked when Gaius did not answer.

"Uther has disinherited Arthur and made Catrina his heir." Gaius said.

"What?" I asked. If there were ever any doubt that she was in his head it was gone now. Uther would never do that to Uther.

"So if Uther dies she sill rule Camelot." Merlin stated, the fear apparent in his voice.

"This is all part of her plan." I said as I shook my head.

"They are having a ceremony this afternoon where she will be crowned." Gaius said.

"Do you think she will become a troll in time?" I asked.

"We can only hope." Gaius said.

* * *

><p>I held Arthur's hand as Catrina was crowned heir. I looked over my shoulder and saw Merlin and Aleya standing in the balcony, out of view to anyone who was looking for them. I knew that this was difficult for Arthur. Uther had insisted that he attend the ceremony, out of respect for the Queen. That line had made me want to puke.<p>

"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Camelot, to uphold the laws and customs of the land…." I stopped listening to the oath when Catrina's expression dropped. I could not help but smile because I knew exactly what was happening.

"Will you, to your power, cause law and justice and mercy to be executed in all your judgment?" Geoffrey asked.

"I will." She said quickly as she began to scratch her hand.

"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the laws…." He said.

"Yes, yes." She interrupted. She pulled up her sleeve to reveal a patch of brown, troll skin. I looked back at Aleya who was smiling.

"I'm sorry, you must let me finish." He said, "The wording must be exact for it to be binding."

"Get on with it then." She said, "I mean really, where did you dig up this old crow from?"

"She's right, get on with it." Uther said with a smile.

"Will you to the utmost of your power…."He began again.

"Yes, yes." She said.

"Maintain the laws and customs." He said.

"I will." She interrupted again.

"Of the land and serve the people." He said.

"Yes! Just shut up and give me the crown." She said. I bit my lip to avoid laughing. Geoffrey held the crown in his hand. "Will you hurry up?" She said as she took the crown from his hand and ran down the aisle. Uther followed after her. I smiled and followed Arthur out. Morgana ran behind me.

* * *

><p>Merlin grabbed my hand as we ran down the stairs and into the hallway where Catrina had led Uther and the others. We hid behind a pillar and Merlin closed and locked the door with the help of his magic. Catrina ran desperately for the door.<p>

"What is the matter?" Uther asked as he walked in.

"I'm sorry." She said as she held up both of her hands. Her left hand now looked just like the troll. She realized her mistake and pulled it behind her. "I don't know what came over me, I just suddenly felt so hot." She said as she backed towards the door. "You know, I think I need to be on my own." She said.

"Are you alright?" Samantha asked with a sadistic smile on her face.

"Yes, I'm fine, really. Thank you." She said as she turned around and worked on the door. She began to pull on the door as Arthur walked over to her.

"Allow me." He said. He looked down at the handle and backed away as he saw her hand. "What the hell is that?" He asked. She turned to them and revealed her hand. Before she could speak she began to transform.

"What's happening?" Morgana asked in terror. "Somebody help her." She said. There was nothing to be done to help her now, and after a moment there was a hideous troll standing in front of them.

"You're a troll." Arthur said.

"I hate to say I told you so." Samantha said smugly although she was looking shocked as well. Uther continued to smile. I made a note of the necklace that Uther wore glowing red.

"How dare you speak of her like that." Uther said sounding offended.

"What is wrong with you?" Arthur asked in disgust. "Look at the state of her!" Arthur said.

"I don't believe it." Morgana said as she shook her head. Catrina turned and ripped the door off of the hinges. I flinched back as she did and she ran out of the room grunting.

"She just ripped the door off of its hinges, doesn't that tell you something?" Arthur said as he stared at his father.

"Enough!" Uther yelled.

"She's a troll." Arthur said, "A giant, grey…"

"Stinking." Samantha added.

"Stinking troll." Arthur said.

"Stop it!" Uther said as he walked over to the door. He picked up the crown and shoes that had been discarded by Catrina. He turned to face Arthur, Samantha, and Morgan. "Haven't you hurt her feelings enough" He asked , "Insult my wife again and it will be the last think you ever do." He said before walking out and leaving them speechless.

* * *

><p>I paced in front of Aleya and Merlin who had delved into Merlin's spell books looking for an answer to our current predicament.<p>

"Uther must be enchanted." Gaius said as he looked up from his own book.

"It has to be the pendant." Aleya said, "I noticed it glowing today."

"I saw it too." I said, "There's definitely something magicky going on with that thing."

"We just have to find a way to break her hold on him." Merlin said.

"Can't you just rip the necklace off?" I asked.

"I fear that it has already taken hold." Gaius said, "You won't find anything in your spell book, Merlin. Troll magic is too powerful."

"Then what are we going to do?" Aleya asked.

"Merlin, you must speak to the dragon." Gaius said. "If there is a way to break Catrina's hold on Uther he will know it, but be careful, dragons and trolls have been close allies in the past."

"Great, I love that old lizard." I said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Samantha, Merlin, and I walked down the stair case to visit the dragon. When we made it into the cave Merlin went about explaining our current situation to him. Samantha added several adjectives when Merlin was describing the troll. As soon as Merlin finished explaining the dragon simply laughed.<p>

"This isn't funny." Merlin said.

"Oh, it is, it is. The thought of Uther marrying a troll. Was it a very public affair?" He asked.

"Public enough." Samantha said.

"Don't laugh, if she can't be stopped Arthur won't become king and Albion will never be born." Merlin said.

"I'm sorry. You are right." The dragon said.

"How can we break the enchantment?" I aske.d

"These are not trifling tricks. Troll magic is very powerful." He said.

"There has to be a way." Merlin said.

"The only way you could break this enchantment is if Uther were to cry tears of true remorse." He said.

"How do we make him do that?" Samantha asked, "Have you met the man?"

"That I cannot answer, Uther's heart is as cold as stone." The dragon said, "He's never been sorry for anything."

"Thanks, I think." Merlin said as he turned to walk away.

"Young Warlock." The dragon called. We all turned to face him. "It was some time ago you promised to set me free. The help I give is not unconditional." I looked at Merlin, eyes wide. He promised to set him free? Merlin nodded and started up the stairs.

"What the hell, Merlin?" Samantha said when we reached the top of the stairs.

"You promised to set him free?" I asked.

"I had to, to save Camelot." He said.

"What do you think that he will do to Camelot when he is released?" I asked.

"I don't know." Merlin said.

* * *

><p>"The dragon said that he had to cry tears of true remorse to break the enchantment." Merlin said as he paced around the room.<p>

"Well, that's not going to be easy." Gaius said, "Uther's heart is closed to everyone."

"Not everyone." I said and everyone stared at me, "Arthur." I said.

"Then there is only one course of action we can take." Gaius said.

"And that would be?" Aleya asked.

"Uther must see his son die." Gaius said.

"Now, that's not what I meant." I said.

"It will be perfectly safe." Gaius said as he stood and started on some sort of potion. "Merlin, you and Aleya should go and explain this to Arthur. Samantha and I will brew the potion and meet you there." He said.

* * *

><p>"This is becoming a habit." I whispered as Merlin and I hid beneath Arthur's bed.<p>

"I don't know, I kind of like it." Merlin said as he looked at me with a smile.

"Shut up, you flirt." I said. I heard Arthur walking towards us. He got into bed and blew out the candle that was placed on the night stand.

"Watch this." Merlin whispered. "Arthur. Arthur." He said. I saw Arthur get out of bed and draw his sword.

"Who's there?" He said.

"Merlin." He said as he slid out from under the bed. I saw Arthur jump.

"And Aleya." I said as I pushed myself out. He pointed his sword at us.

"You're back." Arthur said in surprise.

"We never left." Merlin said.

"You mean to say….."Arthur trailed off.

"Yes." Merlin said.

"You've been under there this whole time?" Arthur said.

"No." Merlin and I said in unison.

"Because if you were." Arthur said as he pointed his sword at Merlin.

"I wasn't, I swear." Merlin said as he stood up.

"So, your stepmother is a troll." Merlin said.

"If you say I told you so." Arthur said.

"I wasn't going to. I wouldn't." Merlin said.

"I would, I told you so." I said. Arthur gave me a cheesy grin.

"Gaius believes that your father has been enchanted. We found a way to break the spell but…." Merlin said.

"We need your help." I added.

* * *

><p>"So, your great plan is to kill me?" Arthur asked.<p>

"In a nutshell, yes." I said, "Gaius and I made a potion that will make you look dead, but without the actual dying part."

"It's fine, nothing to worry about." Merlin said, "It will only bring you to the brink of death."

"Oh, only to the brink." Arthur said.

"We haven't got a choice." Aleya said, "We have to make your father cry."

"He doesn't care about me anymore." Arthur said.

"Of course he does!" I said, "You are the only thing your father actually does care about."

"It's completely safe, one drop of the antidote and you'll be safe." Gaius said.

"Antidote? What antidote?" Arthur asked, "You didn't say anything about an antidote."

"I didn't think it was important." I said.

"The potion will lower your heart rate and breathing. For all intents and purposes you will be dead." Gaius explained.

"And the antidote reverses the effects?" Arthur asked.

"Yep." I said.

"If we get it to you in time."Aleya said.

"If it isn't?" Arthur asked, although I sensed that he knew the answer.

"You will be dead." Gaius said.

"I thought you said it wasn't important?" Arthur said angrily as he looked at me.

"I lied." I said with a smile. "It will be fine, Arthur. Merlin and Aleya will get it to you in time." I said.

"Great, so my life is in their hands." Arthur said.

"Once I have administered the poison…I mean the potion, they'll have half an hour to get it to you." Gaius said.

"Don't be late." Arthur said as he looked at Merlin.

"Am I ever?" Merlin said with a grin.

"I'm not going to answer that." Arthur said.

"Are you sure that you want to go through with this?" Gaius asked.

"It's the only way to save Camelot." Arthur said.

He took the potion and downed it. Nothing happened for a moment and he just stood there looking confused. Then he fell backwards onto Aleya and I who caught him with difficulty. We gently lowered him down to the ground.

"Time to break the bad news to Uther." Gaius said. Gaius handed Merlin the antidote.

"Aleya and I can't be in here when Uther comes." Merlin said.

"That's right, he still wants our heads." Aleya said.

"I'll make sure that Uther believes Arthur is dead." I said with a smile, "Those acting lessons I too will pay off."

* * *

><p>Merlin and I walked down the hallway. Our plan was to get far enough away so that Uther would not see us, but close enough that we could get to Arthur in time. He walked in front of me, clutching the antidote in his hand. Suddenly a vase fell from above him and hid him in the head.<p>

"Merlin!" I yelled as I knelt down next to him. I watched in horror as the potion rolled down the stairs. I dove for it and grabbed it before it hit the ground. I stood up and looked towards Merlin and saw Jonas standing in front of me. Before I could act he pushed me and I fell backwards down the stairs. The last thing I remembered was a sharp pain in the back of my head before the darkness overtook my vision.

Merlin and I walked down the hallway. We were just going to get far enough away so that Uther wouldn't see us. He walked in front of me clutching the antidote in his hand. Suddenly a vase fell from above him and hit him on the head.

* * *

><p>I heard someone walking towards me from down the hall so I knelt down over Arthur and began to sob. I cradles his head in his lap and waited. It was not very hard to get the tears to come due to the fact that Arthur appeared to be dead. Uther threw open the doors and walked in.<p>

"He's dead, my lord." I said between sobs.

"My boy." Uther said as he leaned down in front of Arthur.

* * *

><p>I awoke to Merlin shaking me. My vision was blurred at first but it quickly cleared up as I realized what had just happened.<p>

"Are you alright?" He asked as he helped me up.

"I think so." I said, "It was Jonas, he dropped the vase on your head. Are you alright?" I asked.

"Never better." He said with a weak smile. "Where's the antidote?"

"Oh no." I muttered when I saw the shattered bottle at the bottom of the stairs.

* * *

><p>"It was my fault." Uther said. "I pushed you away."<p>

I could see the tears forming in Uther's eyes. Soon Catrina's hold over the king would be broken and Arthur would be safe, provided Merlin and Aleya did their job.

"How could you have known what would happen, my lord?" I asked solemnly.

* * *

><p>"One drop." Merlin said, sounding deflated. "One drop was all we needed." I looked at him and then at the blue piece of fabric tied around his neck.<p>

"Give me your neckerchief." I said.

"What?" He asked, sounding confused about the strange request.

"Neckerchief, give it." I said.

He obeyed and handed it to me. I moved down the spilled substance and began trying to soak it up with the fabric. When I was confident that there was enough I handed the neckerchief back to Merlin.

"Have I ever told you you're a genius?" He said with a smile.

"We have to get it to Arthur." I said.

* * *

><p>I looked over at the door and saw that Catrina had walked in. She really was revolting when she was in full troll form. Uther's enchantment had to be pretty strong to make her seem beautiful.<p>

"Come away." She said as she walked in. "There is nothing you can do for him now." She said. Uther had taken Arthur into his arms.

"I killed him, I killed my only son." Uther said.

"No, no, no, no!" She said as a tear rolled down Uther's face. We had done it. Uther looked at Catrina and his face palled anymore.

"Catrina?" He said as the pendant on his neck stopped glowing. "What kind of trickery is this?" He said.

"How I've suffered for these past weeks." She said. I saw Merlin and Aleya walk through the other door. "Allowing you to touch me. Having to share a bed with you." She said. I was shocked, Uther got freaky with a troll." "It's repulsive." She said.

"I know the feeling." Uther said with regret in his voice.

"I've been looking forward to this." She said.

"Guards!" Uther yelled, "Seize…..it." He said. Merlin ran around the corner and noticed that he no longer had the antidote.

"Where's the antidote?" I asked as he knelt down next to Arthur.

"Jonas dropped a vase on his head and pushed me down the stairs, sorry but we dropped it." Aleya said.

Merlin began to try to get a drop of the antidote out of the neckerchief while Catrina fought her way through the guards. As soon as the drop of the antidote hit Arthur's lips he began to wake up. Merlin and I helped him up and as soon as he was on his feet he ran over to Catrina who was getting ready to make her move on Uther. He rammed into her and the Catrina lifted him up by his shirt.

"Now, is that any way to treat your stepmother?" She asked before she flung him into the wall. I ran over to him.

"Arthur!" I yelled as I went. I watched as Arthur slumped down to the ground and I knelt down next to him.

Jonas went after Arthur and I. He pulled a tiny dagger out only to be met by a sword to the stomach. The person wielding the sword was Aleya. She looked as hurt as Jonas as he fell to the ground. Arthur stood up and she handed the sword to him.

Merlin muttered something and the rug that Catrina was standing on flew out from beneath her. She fell to the ground which left her open to attack. Arthur ran the sword through her. After a moment she was gone, but her odor lingered.

* * *

><p>"Right, so the troll infestation is over." Samantha said as we walked back to my chambers.<p>

"Yeah." I said as I yawned.

"Be honest with me, when was the last time you slept?" She asked.

"I slept a bit when I hit my head on the stairs." I said.

"That doesn't count." She said.

"Three days ago? I think I've been running on adrenaline."

"You need to go to bed now." She said. It did not register to me that we were in my chambers until I felt myself lying down in bed.

* * *

><p>I helped Aleya into bed and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep.<p>

"Good night, Aleya." I said as I walked out of the room.

Camelot was safe once more, as was Arthur. I walked out into the hallway and saw Merlin and Arthur talking. I slid into one of the alcoves and listened.

"I want you to know that I never doubted you." Arthur said. Merlin gave him an incredulous look. "Alright, maybe I did. But it's your own fault. You've got a suspicious look about you. Shifty, like you've got something to hide."

"I am an open book." Merlin said, liar.

"I don't believe that for a second, however, I do know that without your help I'd still have a troll for a stepmother." Arthur said. There was an awkward pause that consisted of them both nodding. "well, good job today." Arthur said as he put his hand on Merlin's shoulder. Merlin must have thought that he was going for a hug.

"Woah." Arthur muttered.

"Woah." Merlin replied.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"I thought you were going for a hug." Merlin said.

"No." Arthur said.

"No." Merlin replied while shaking his head. They waited a moment before they both lowered their hands. Arthur began to walk towards me when I vacated my hiding place.

"I'll give you a hug, Merlin." I said with a smile. Arthur stared at me for a moment before he began to laugh.


End file.
